Reflections: Beginnings
by KD Skywalker
Summary: What if Aragorn had a twin sister? How might have that changed things before, during and after 'Lord of the Rings? She has a lot to prove to everyone, especially to the elf that she loves
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer and AN**__**: I only have the rights to Aria/Elin, everything else belongs to Tolkien. This is also my first attempt at a LOTR fic, so please have a little mercy on my soul =)**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1:**_

"Please my Lord," the injured woman begged. "My twins. They are all I have. Please protect them."

Lord Elrond of Rivendell looked down at the young woman who was lying in the bed. His twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, had come upon the woman and her children while riding through valley making sure that orcs were not present. The woman was almost in a delirious state and her children were young and scared. The twins had thought it best that the woman and children were brought to their father.

"I will do all I can for them. But who is their father?" Elrond gently asked.

"Arathorn, the nine and thirtieth heir in the right line from Isildur," the woman breathed as an Elf healer gently ran a cold cloth along her forehead to try and break her raging fever. When the Elf Lord heard the name Isildur, he turned and looked at the twin children who were sitting down the hallway from his location.

_Isildur's heir…_

"Rest now," Elrond said, standing up and leaving the healer with the woman. He slowly moved towards the two human children who sat huddled next to each other on a bench. It was late and obviously past these children's bed times. The girl, who was much smaller than her brother, lay curled against her brother's shoulder sleeping, while her brother fought off sleep. He knelt down in front of the twins as the boy looked up at him with light grey eyes.

"Come little one," Elrond said as he picked up the sleeping little girl from her brother's lap. "You need to sleep."

The little boy stood up and took Elrond's hand as they walked silently through the hallways of Rivendell.

"Where's mommy?" the little girl groggily asked, waking up as she was carried by the Elf Lord. She looked up at Elrond with her large grey eyes – the same shade as her brothers.

"Resting, iell nin."

She nodded and placed her head back onto his shoulder. "Are you going to be our papa?" she then asked.

"We shall see," the Elf Lord said, reaching the bedroom that had been prepared for the twins. "Tomorrow is a new day with new beginnings. Until then, sleep."

He gently placed the little girl into the bed then helped her brother in as well. Both children were fast asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. He stood there and watched over the children for a few more minutes.

Their father had been killed by orcs. Their mother was ill and being tended to by his best healers. And she had intentionally sought him out. She had known that her children would be safe in the protection of his household. True that these weren't just any children, for they were both Dúnedain. The boy was also the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. And they even had a bit of elvish blood deep in their veins.

Their mother had been right. He was the best one to protect them all.

For even more protection, the children would be raised in his house, treated as one of his own and even have their names changed until they came of age and the truth of their past could be revealed to them – more so the boy than the girl.

The boy would change his name to Estel and the girl would change her name to Elin. That was his only condition for staying in his home. And he was sure that their mother would not care if it was for their own protection.

He knew that darkness was slowly creeping back into Middle Earth. From where and from who he did not yet know. Yet he could already tell that these two children would play a role in vanquishing this encroaching darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer and AN: Elin is mine! Everything else belongs to Tolkien! Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and adds! Makes me smile! Also, I wasn't sure what Mirkwood looked like, so have so imagination for a bit. Along with that – I figured that the Elves did eat some meat. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

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**Chapter Two:**

Fifteen years had come and gone.

For Elves that was a blink of an eye, yet for humans it was a large part of their lives. Growing up from a small child to a young adult was a big ordeal in their society. Even though his adopted children were Dúnedain and would live much longer and hopefully fuller lives, Elrond still wondered about them both at times. At the age of 17, the twins were so different, which was to be expected.

Estel had grown tall and strong with his young age. Elrond had made sure that he had been trained as a warrior with his own sons, Elladan and Elrohir, as well as a healer. There was even a strong sense of confidence in him. Time would tell if this confidence would last when Estel's true path in life would be revealed to him in a few short years.

Elin on the other hand was far more reserved than her outgoing brother. She had not always been that way. When she was a child, she, too, had been outgoing. But in the last few years, she had became more reserved and withdrawn into herself. While she did learn the elvish ways of archery at the urging of her elf brothers, she was best at the healing arts. While her destiny may lie on a different path then that of her brother, Elrond couldn't help but sense that they would actually depend a lot more on each other in the future more then the did now.

Yet with all of their differences, there was one thing that both of the twins shared – the Dúnedain gift of foresight. But he had not told them that they were Dúnedain yet. He still kept that from them, for now at least.

* * *

"Ada?"

Elrond turned to look from the book that he was reading towards the soft voice of Elin. She stood in the doorway looking down at the floor. "What troubles you, iell nin?" he asked.

"May I travel with you and my brothers to Mirkwood? I have never been there and I would very much like to see it. I've been to Lórien before and it was beautiful. Please Ada. I rarely leave Rivendell," she asked looking down at the floor.

Elrond set his book down as he stood up and walked towards his daughter. He gently tipped her downturned chin up so that he could look at her face. He knew that something was truly bugging her if she was looking away from him. "There is more to this iell nin, isn't there?"

"I'm not sure…" she softly said with a bit of uncertainty in her voice.

He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. "Dress comfortably. It is a long ride."

* * *

"Humans, Lord Elrond?" Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood asked in amazement. He and Elrond sat in council discussing the fate of Estel and to an extent Elin, which had been the purpose of the trip to Mirkwood in the first place. His sons, Estel included, had been taken on a hunt by several of the Woodland Realm elves, while Elin had quietly slipped away to the Halls of Healing to see if she could learn anything new from the wood elves.

"Yes humans. But not just any humans. Estel is the rightful heir to throne of Gondor. That is why they are in my protection."

"Isildur's heir?"

Elrond nodded. "Their mother begged me not to tell them until they come of age, which isn't for another few years. The fate of men rests on that boy's shoulders."

"Yet the girl seems different. What of her?"

"Her gift of foresight is unlike any that I have ever come across in an Dúnedain."

"And that troubles you?"

"Not as much as it troubles her."

* * *

The hunting party had been successful in obtaining the wild game that would be served at the night's feast. As the party slowly made its way back to the Great Halls of Mirkwood, the sons of Elrond and the Woodland Prince were some of the last to return. The groups were heading off to clean up for the feast, when something caught the keen eyes of the Woodland Prince – sitting on the edge of a balcony was an unfamiliar young woman with long wavy brown hair. She looked to be reading a book of some kind.

"Elrohir, who is that?" he asked. "Did she come with you and your kin?"

"She is our sister, Elin."

"But she is not an elf."

"No, she is the twin of Estel."

Elin looked down and smiled at them from her perch before turning her attention back to the book that she was reading. The prince couldn't help but keep his eyes transfixed on the beauty before him. Could this be who he had been waiting for all his long, lonely years?

* * *

"Is this seat taken, brennil nin?"

Elin looked up from the place she had just sat down in at the long dinning table in the great hall. She and all the other guests were taking their seats, waiting King Thranduil's arrival. One the other side of her sat Elrohir. "No Prince Legolas," she gently said.

"Please, just call me Legolas," he said as he sat down. "And your name is Elin, is it not?"

She smiled and nodded as she looked into the blue eyes of the Woodland Prince. All along she had known there was a reason why she had to come to Mirkwood. Was this the reason why?

* * *

All during the feast and the hours to follow afterwards, Elin and Legolas found themselves immersed in conversation. More Legolas than Elin since he had far more interesting stories to tell her than the ones that she knew and besides he had been alive for far longer. Eventually the morning came too soon.

Neither of them had cared that they had talked the entire night away. "I did not mean to keep you up all night," Legolas said as they sat watching the sunrise.

"It's fine. I can sleep another time," she said trying to hide a yawn.

Legolas couldn't help but smile. "Why don't you try to get a few hours of rest in before tonight's grand feast in celebration of your family. Yet I would be honored if you would allow me to escort you to the feast tonight," he suggested as he helped her up and led her towards the guest bedchamber that she was staying in. he wanted to make sure that she got some rest.

"I would like that," she said returning his smile.

They continued to make small talk as they walked. "You really didn't have to walk me back to my room," she said stopping in front of her room. It was still early in the morning and very few elves were up.

"I just wanted to make sure that you did not get lost."

"Thank you," she said gently leaning up and kissing his cheek before slipping into the room to sleep for a few hours.

Legolas stood there for a moment and couldn't move. A simple gesture from Elin had made him almost paralyzed with emotions that he never felt – his heart was racing, his head was spinning a bit but he felt like he could do anything! Or that's what it atleast felt like. Was this what it felt like to fall in love?

* * *

Elrond sat back and observed the interaction between his daughter and the Woodland Prince during the feast. For this first time in a long time, she was smiling – a genuine true smile. This was the Elin of old, coming back to life. Could this meeting be what she had foreseen? Could this had been the reason that she wanted to come with them to Mirkwood?

He couldn't help but wonder.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any thing but Elin/Aria!**_

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**Chapter Three:**

"Sauron has been driven out of Dol Guldur, there is no need for any more worry." Saurman said standing as the White Council met in Rivendell. "He is no longer a threat."

"No longer a threat! He now openly declares himself leader of Mordor!" Gandalf the Grey argued. "Darkness will soon cover all the lands of Middle Earth."

None of the other council members said anything as they listened to the two wizards argue. Galadriel did not trust Saurman and wished that Gandalf were the council's head. And if the forces of Sauron now occupied Mordor once again, then both Estel and Elin were both in danger – that was why Elrond said nothing. If Sauron knew that the heir to the throne of Gondor was alive, then he would send his dark forces after the twins.

"I will hear of no more of this foolishness!" Saurman said as he stood up from the table and left the meeting. Gandalf sat back and sighed in defeat. What had become of his old friend?

"Mithrandir, worry not," Galadriel softly said. "There may be hope yet for Middle Earth's salvation."

"What do you mean?"

"The throne of Gondor will have a king on it once again." Elrond said with confidence. "I am certain of it."

* * *

Legolas willed his stead to run faster. He was so close to Rivendell, yet still so far. He had ridden ahead of the main group of elves from Mirkwood, which included his father. His main reason was to see Elin. He ached to see her again. See her smile. Feel her warmth in his arms once again like the times they had sat along the River Bruinen in Rivendell or walked through the forests of Mirkwood. It was during these times together that Legolas had come to realize that this human who lived so carelessly among elves was whom he was meant to be with – even if it came with a price.

That price being her mortality. She would age, while he stayed the same and eventually die.

Humans were such fragile creatures unlike the immortal elves.

Yet during all of their time together since their first meeting almost three years ago – in between the time that she spent studying in the Halls of Healing in Mirkwood to learn more secrets in healing and his time in Rivendell, visiting with his father – he could tell that she had feelings for him as well. But something was holding her back from acting on them.

With her and Estel's twentieth year celebrations being his entire reason for this journey to Rivendell, he knew that he had to act during this visit. He had to tell Elin how he felt about her. Yet he had been holding back for so long – he had been holding back in fear of what his father would do…

"_I've watched you with her, Legolas. You are a different elf when you are with her. She is your match,"_ Laurian, his older brother, had reassured him several months ago. _"Father married for love. As did I. You are not inheriting the throne. He might be upset at first, but anyone can see that you truly love this human. Elves have married humans before. And you should be with who you please."_

If his brother could see if, then hopefully his father could.

* * *

"How could you keep something like this from us! From your own children!"

"Please son, calm down," Gilraen gently said to her son. She and Elrond had just told Estel and Elin who they really were and Estel, who would now be known as Aragorn, was presented with the Ring of Barahir and the Shards of Narsil.

"There is nothing to calm down about! How are we just supposed to start going by our true names now? Is there suddenly not a threat any longer?" he yelled, still full of resentment.

"No there is. That is why we have told you the truth, ion nin. My metal smiths can reforge Narsil." Elrond said, trying to placate Aragorn. "Then assume your rightful place on the throne of Gondor."

"I do not know what I want," Aragorn said turning away from his mother and adopted father. He turned his focus to his sister, who sat quietly in her chair with her head hung down.

"Aria?" he asked, kneeling next to her. He placed a hand gently against her cheek as wet tears gently splashed on to his hand.

She jerked her head away from him. "That's not my name. That's not who I am!"

Aragorn pulled her tightly into a hug. "A name change doesn't change who you are," he whispered to her. "Nor does it to me. I am still your brother."

"What about if you become king? Then who will I be? Just one of your humble subjects?" she said pulling out of his hug and running off of the dais. Aragorn went to go after her, but Elrond and his mother stopped him.

"Let her be," Gilraen said.

Aragorn did as he was told, but his sister did have a point. A name wouldn't change how he saw her, but it could change how others saw her.

* * *

Legolas had checked all the normal locations in and around Rivendell for Elin upon his arrival. He had not made the day of his arrival known to her, since he wanted it to be a surprise. There was one last place to look – the River Bruinen banks. He quickly made his way down to their favorite spot that they had sat several times over the years. A smile spread across his face as soon as he saw the silhouette of Elin sitting against a tree.

But he heard something odd as well.

Crying? Why was Elin crying?

"Elin, what's wrong?" he asked moving towards her.

She turned wide-eyed towards him. "Legolas? What are you doing here?" she said through her sniffles.

"The celebration for you and Estel," he said still moving towards her.

"Oh yes," she said wiping her eyes.

"Now brennil nin, what causes you such grief that you are sobbing?" he asked sitting down next to her. He gently brushed a loose strand of hair from her face before wiping some of the tears from her cheeks. "What has caused you such pain?"

"Ada told Estel that he is the heir of Isildur and the rightful King of Gondor. And we found out that when we were two, our mother brought us to Rivendell shortly after our father was killed for our protection because of our Elvish ancestors. Ada adopted us and changed our names to protect us until we came of age."

"So that would mean you are a Dúnedain?"

She slowly nodded yes. Legolas' heart practically skipped a beat. If Elin was a Dúnedain that would mean that she would live longer than a normal human and retain her youth for much longer, which also meant that he would be able to spend more time with her. "Wait, you said that your name was changed. So what is your real name?" he asked.

"Aria."

"Its still a beautiful name, so why the tears?"

"I fear what the future will bring. I dream of loosing everything I hold dear."

A tear gently slipped down her cheek again. "Does that include me?" Legolas asked, wiping that tear away as well.

She slowly nodded yes as more tears fell.

"You know that I will always fight to get back to you," he said cupping her face. She had a puzzled look on her face, but he simply smiled at her as he pulled her closer to him and gently kissed her lips.

Pulling back from the kissing, Legolas saw nothing but confusion splashed across his beloved's face. "What is it now?" he gently asked.

"What was that for?"

"Have you not realized my feelings for you? Ever since that first night in Mirkwood years ago, I have known that you are my match in life," he said gently placing his hand against the side of her cheek once again. "Now can you honestly say that you have never had feelings for me as well?"

"I do have feelings for you, but I am a human and you're an elf, let alone an elf prince!"

"And you are Isildur's heir just as much as your brother is. Gondor might not want a Queen, but that doesn't mean that royal blood does not flow through your veins. As does elvish blood, you just don't show it. You said so yourself. There have been human and elf pairings in the past…"

"Most of which have ended in disaster," she said cutting him off.

"That does not mean that this will."

"But my visions."

"Have they all come to pass?"

She shook her head no.

"Nothing is ever set in stone. I know that your Ada has told you that before when it comes to foresight."

"I just can't stand the thought of loosing someone I love so much to something so evil."

"Evil?" Legolas asked, now confused.

"Sauron. He grows more powerful since fleeing Dol Guldurt and returning to Mordor. Ada's felt it. I can feel it. So can others. But in my vision I see you and my brother on a wide plain surrounded by orcs then nothing else. It's been haunting me for months now."

"Like I said – I will always fight to get back to you meleth nin."

"Always?" she asked, still hesitant.

He pulled her close and once again kissed her lips – deeper than the previous time. And much to Legolas' surprise, she returned his kiss. "Always," he answered after the kiss.

* * *

Gilraen had seen her children interact with elves on a daily basis, but never like this. Prior to the celebration, Aragorn's demeanor had been horrible. But now he was practically giddy. Then there was Aria. She hadn't been seen since she had fled the dais earlier that afternoon. It wasn't much of a surprise that she had arrived to the celebration on the arm of the Mirkwood prince, Legolas. It was a surprise about the smile that she wore on her face, as did the prince.

During the rest of the night, Gilraen tried to figure out what was going on with her children. Aria was the easiest. She and the prince must have finally come clean about their feelings after so long. She could only hope that would go over well with his father. As for her son, he was a different story all together. Yet after a while, she noticed that Aragorn would sneak glances towards Arwen, Lord Elrond's daughter who had just returned from Lórien. And she in return would sneak a smile back. Now this would be a problem. Lord Elrond would be hard to convince to allow his only daughter to marry a mortal.

She would have to talk to her son about this.

* * *

Thranduil watched his youngest son with a keen interest. He had always known that Legolas was a little different – always torn between duty and family. But a human? Over the last few years, he had noticed a change in his son. The times that this human was around, Legolas was happy and carefree – much like he had been before his mother had left these shores. Then the times that they were apart, he was rigid and focused on duty.

If this human made his son so happy, then he could learn to live with it. And if he could live with it, then so could his subjects.

But for now he would play a waiting game until they came to him and announced their relationship in the open. He just hoped that Legolas knew the costs of a relationship with a human.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN and Disclaimer:**_**I don't own anything except Aria or and maybe Laurian, but I'll claim just Aria. Anyways, I love that I am getting a lot of followers, but I really love reviews! Please, pretty please review! It doesn't take that long! Please?**_

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**Chapter 4:**

"You do understand that there is no way to spare her from death."

"I do, adar." Legolas said. "That is why I want nothing more than your blessing for our union. I want your blessing before I approach Lord Elrond."

It had been several months since the coming of age celebrations in Rivendell and his son had yet to approach him about his relationship with the human daughter of Elrond, so Thranduil took matters into his own hands. He had to make his son see how foolish this all was. And that it wasn't too late to change his mind. But talking to his son, Thranduil could see that Legolas was dead set on making this mortal his bride at some point in the near future. "But she has very little elvish blood!" he said snapping. "How will the rest of the kingdom see your relationship? She will wither and fade away, while you will stay young and vibrant!"

"I understand this! We both do!"

"I don't think you!"

Without saying a word, Legolas stood up and left the Great Hall. He needed to be alone with his thoughts to be able to sort everything out and determine what he was going to do. He would marry Aria no matter what his father said – even if it meant leaving Mirkwood. He could always ride with Aragorn and the Rangers of the north, while she would help threat their wounds from battles – just like she was doing right now. Shortly after their coming of age celebrations, she and Aragorn had decided that they needed to leave Rivendell for a while and experience life with the Dúnedain. It was more Aragorn's decision than hers, but she was going to go with him for a while at least.

As he was retreating to his chambers, he walked into a hooded figured.

"Oh excuse me, Prince Legolas," Gandalf said removing his hood. The wizard had just arrived in Mirkwood for a meeting with his father about recent activity in the woods.

"The fault is mine. I was distracted. But may I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

The elf prince explained his situation to the Istari, who in return promised the elf prince that he would see what he could find for him. "But do not get your hopes up. There may be a chance that I cannot find out anything for you other than what you already know. Do realize that." Gandalf warned.

"I do," the prince said turning and continuing on his way towards his chambers.

Gandalf watched him for a second before turning and making his way towards the Great Hall, where he found Thranduil and his eldest son, Laurian, engaged in a conversation. He stood back and listened for a second.

"You are loosing him again with your stubborn ways!" Laurian argued. "He had just started to come back out of his shell after so many centuries! And now you are going to isolate him once again!"

"Do not lecture me on how to raise my own son until you've have one of your own!"

"When he's left the kingdom to be with her and then fades away to nothing after she dies it will be because of you! A few weeks ago you were supportive of this relationship. What has changed?"

"I do not have to explain myself to you."

"Then obviously you have not spent enough time around Legolas when he has been around Aria." Laurian said before storming past Gandalf on his way out of the Great Hall.

Thranduil turned his attention to Gandalf, who stood there in silence. Obviously this entire ordeal between Legolas and Aria was a bit tenuous. No wonder Legolas was so determined to find a way to spend forever with her.

"Ah, Gandalf! How can I be of assistance to you at this time?" Thranduil asked.

"My Lord, I am in search of a creature called Gollum. I was wondering if your elves could be on the look out for him. And if you find him, bring him here and summon me immediately."

"Most certainly."

Gandalf bid the Elf King farewell and quickly left the Great Hall.

He had some research to see to.

* * *

"Quickly! Over here!" Aria instructed to the men who carried the wounded Ranger into the cottage just outside of Bree. The Rangers set their wounded companion on the bed that Aria had prepared for them as she quickly set to tending to the wounds of the Ranger.

"Another orc attack?" she asked.

"Unfortunately my lady," one of the Rangers answered. "We were to bring him back to you then join up with the rest."

"Understandable." Aria said with a smile. "Please inform my brother that if there are more orc attacks that I will need Elladan and Elrohir's help in healing." – referring to her Elf twin brothers that had decided to leave Rivendell with her and Aragorn. They had long despised orcs for the torment that they had inflicted upon their mother, Celebrían, so long ago. Elrond had not stopped his sons from leaving Rivendell, but had requested that they protect both Aragorn and Aria from harm they best that they could.

The two uninjured Rangers bid Aria farewell as she attended to their fallen companion.

"What's your name?" she asked, as she gently cleaned out the gash on his leg first.

"Halbarad," he said through gritted teeth.

"Well I'm not going to lie to you Halbarad, you are in for a long night," she said. "But I do have a sleeping draught that should help take some of the pain off."

* * *

A loud thud followed by muffled yells and screams, awoke Halbarad from his daze of dreamless sleep that he had been in. A sudden jolt of pain shot through his leg and both arms as he moved to try and get up to see what was going on. He could swear that he heard Aria screaming from the front room. He knew that it was the middle of the night since the candle had long since burned out. The more screams he heard, the more he fought through the pain to see what was going on.

Slowly he got to his feet and moved towards the door and opened it. A rush of cool air greeted him. Allowing his eyes to adjust, he could make out that the front door had been smashed in and several other things had been broken in the small main room of the cottage. "Aria?" he called out.

No response.

He slowly made his way to the door. Off in the distance he could see several figures riding away on horse back with screams fading away in the distance.

Aria. The screams had been from her.

He had to get to Aragorn.

Slowly making his way to the side of the house, where Aria had her horse stabled, Halbarad managed to get onto the stead and rode off into the night towards the Rangers camp. He prayed to Valar that he wasn't too late and that he didn't pass out from the pain that he was in.

* * *

"Aragorn! Aragorn! Come quickly!"

It was the early morning hours when Aragorn was awoken by his elf brother. Typically the Rangers did not camp together since the job was a solitary ordeal. But with the recent uptake in orc attacks, it was better safe than sorry.

"What is it, Elrohir?" he asked.

"It's Halbarad! He's returned!"

Aragorn was awake now. Aria never sent a Ranger back into the field until they were fully healed. And Halbarad's injuries were severe enough that the neither he nor the twins could treat him in the field. That's why he had to be sent to Aria in the first place. He followed Elrohir to where Elladan had Halbarad settled down. "Now tell us what happened to our sister?" Elladan calmly asked, obviously using some sort of elvish calming technique.

The trio listened to Halbarad's account of the previous night's events and the mysterious disappearance of Aria.

"There had been those disappearances along the Great East Road and as far south as the North-South Road. All young women." Elrohir said.

"But this is our sister!" Elladan said.

Both of them turned to look at Aragorn, waiting for him to say something. Neither of them were prepared for the look on his face – a look of determination that had never been on his face before had suddenly appeared. "Elrohir, ride to Rivendell and tell Ada what has happened. Perhaps he has seen something or can even send some trackers out searching. Elladan, ride to the Halls of Mirkwood and find Legolas and see if you can convince King Thranduil to help in our search for Aria and the other missing young women. I will inform the others of our new situation. We will meet in Rivendell in one month no matter what."

The twins nodded in agreement and immediately left.

"_We're coming for you, Aria…"_


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN and Disclaimer: I own nothing but Aria….**_

_**I loved the reviews from last chapter so please keep them coming! They make me smile and I love seeing them when I wake up in the morning and also during work. It makes my day! So please keep reviewing. Yes this chapter does touch on a touchy subject of rape….but no graphic details! Just a mention of it! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 5:**_

Aria brought her knees up to her chest and clung to them tightly as pain shot through every part of her body. Sobs racked against her bruised and aching chest. She lay her head against the dirt covered stone floor and quietly sobbed. Her clothes had been torn to rags, which now barely clung to her thin frame. Her hair was matted and full of dirt.

Then there was the fact that she had been defiled in the most inhuman ways possible. There was no way that anyone would want to be with her now, even more so a prince. She didn't know what hurt more – the rape or the thoughts of loosing Legolas…

"You'll get used to it in time," a voice said in the shadows moving closer to her.

She sniffled as she looked up in the darkness towards the voice as a figure slowly emerged. "Excuse me?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

"You're not the only one this has happened to," a young woman, who looked to be about her age said, coming into focus in the darkness. "They are just preparing us for our new masters. Or that's what I've been told from the others who have already gone before us."

"Already gone?"

The young woman nodded. "The other day before you came."

"So where are we?"

"I don't know. The others just told me to tell the new girls what they told me and to pass it on in case one of us can escape."

"My name is Aria. What's yours?" she said sitting up.

"Mara. I come from the Kingdom of Gondor."

"I live in Bree, in the north." Aria said, not wanting to give up too much about herself.

The two girls softly talked, trying to ease their fears and anxiety about what the future held for both of them.

* * *

Two more girls had been added to the damp, dark cell that Mara and Aria shared over the next few days – Lisbeth and Belen, both from the Kingdom of Rhovanion. Both of them younger then Mara and Aria were. And both were beginning to be treated worse than either of the older girls had been.

"Please take me instead!" Aria had insisted several times, trying to give the smaller girls a chance to allow their bodies to recover a bit from the abuse that they were enduring. It had worked some at first, but eventually it led to several beatings for Aria. The men did not like to be kept from what they thought should be theirs.

After what had seemed like an eternity in the darkness or dim light of a few small candles, the four girls were lead outside to a covered wagon. Quickly glancing around, Aria tried to take in any signs of where she was. Nothing she recognized except something far in the distance.

Erebor.

The Lonely Mountain of the Dwarfs.

She knew that she was hurt, but she had to try to escape. She was so close to Mirkwood. So only had to get close to the Woodland Guard. Then they would protect her and the others. That was all it would take.

Most of the other men who had been wherever they were being held hostage had obviously left to go kidnap more girls. That left only two men that were going to transport her and the other girls to their final destination. And she'd ben damned if she'd let that happen. If she ever wanted to see her family again, Legolas again, home again then she would muster up the strength to do this.

The two youngest girls and Mara walked in front of her, slowly due to injures while she brought up the rear. One man led the way, while the other walked to her left. The man on her left wore a knife loose in his belt. Without hesitation, Aria lunged for his belt, grabbed the knife and plunged it deep into his throat then rolled off of him. Before the other guard could do anything, Aria had clumsily lunged at him and plunged the knife deep into his gut.

"Quickly into the wagon!" she ordered.

The two youngest climbed into the back, while Mara climbed onto the top to drive. Aria had tried to climb to the top, but a deep gash in her side prevented her from doing so.

"Tell me where to go and what to do. Then rest." Mara said, quickly helping her into the back, where the two younger girls made her comfortable.

"Go into the forest. Seek the elves. Do not stop for anyone."

Mara nodded, as she made sure everyone was secure before leaving the hell that they had all known far behind them.

As they rode, Aria cringed in pain. The last man she had lunged at had managed to take a swipe at her and the wound was refusing to stop bleeding. She was already weak. If she lost any more blood, she wasn't sure what would happen. She closed her eyes and tried to rest.

"Farewell meleth nin," she whispered knowing that Legolas would never hear her mutter the words.

"Mara! Hurry! Aria is getting worse!" Lisbeth cried out. "She's speaking in other tongues!"

* * *

"You will be no good to anyone without some rest!" Laurian said forcing his brother to lie down on his bedroll for a little while longer. "We have ridden for three days, searching every cave and crevice looking for Aria. We have covered a vast majority of Rhovanion."

Legolas sighed and listened to his brother. He knew that the sun would not rise for a few more hours and it was all but pointless to search in the darkness. When word had reached Mirkwood about Aria's kidnapping, he immediately set out with his brother to search. Much to his surprise, his father sent out trackers as well. So while he and his kin were searching the Kingdom of Rhovanion, Aragorn and the Rangers along with some elves from Rivendell would search the Kingdom of Andor.

It had been two weeks, and every day that went by without Aria back safely in his arms, he was loosing hope.

"Fine, a few hours will not hurt. But at first light, we ride again." Legolas said settling down and falling into another restless night – just like the last few had been. Plagued by dreams of Aria vanishing from his grasp.

"_Farewell meleth nin,"_ she whispered in his dreamas images flew past him, most of which he had never seen. Except for one.

Erebor.

Legolas sat straight up. "Wake up Laurian! I think I know where Aria is!"

* * *

Two days they rode. Sometimes it felt like it was in circles, sometimes it felt like they would never find an elf anywhere. Aria was in and out of consciousness. Thankfully there were wild berries in the forest for them to eat so that they didn't starve. Nights were the worst because all Lisbeth and Belen were scared to go to sleep, while Mara was too worn out from the day of riding to stay up with them. And of course, Aria was far too weak to do so. Instead, they just kept on moving.

A bit into their third day, Mara say two riders moving fast towards them. "Girls, stay quiet!" she hissed behind her. Belen and Lisbeth had been telling Aria a story to try and keep her conscious. The girls immediately went silent.

Within seconds the two riders were face to face with Mara.

"What business do you have in Mirkwood?" one of the riders asked. He had long blond hair and fair complexion with pointy ears….pointy ears! An elf!

"Searching for the elves. My friend has been injured and told me to seek the elves." Mara said pleading with tears in her eyes.

* * *

Did Legolas hear the answer to his brother's question right? This young woman's friend had been injured and told her to see the elves? He slowly dismounted his horse and approached the young woman and her wagon on foot. "May I see your friend?" he asked. "Perhaps I can help her."

"She is in the back. She was stabbed with a blade of some kind." Mara said climbing down from atop the wagon. "It took several hours for it to stop bleeding."

Mara led Legolas to the back of the wagon and slowly lifted the flap. He could tell that this young woman had injuries of some kind as well. But obviously not as bad as her friend's. He peered into the back and saw two younger girl's sitting around a young woman who propped up against a side of the wagon. As soon as he saw her, a tear slowly slipped down her cheek. He would know this young woman anywhere – even if it looked like that she had gone to hell and back, including loosing a lot of weight.

"Melda nin," she whispered.

Without saying anything, Legolas stepped inside the wagon and looked at Aria's injuries. The wound on her side was the worse. She needed a healer immediately. "Will you be ok to ride with me to Mirkwood? It's not far." he asked.

"I don't know. I feel so weak," she said leaning into him.

"You've got to try," he whispered, gently gathering her into his arms. "For me, melda nin?"

She nodded into his chest as he carried out of the wagon. "I'm taking her to Mirkwood. She needs immediate attention," he said to Mara. "My brother will lead you and your friends there. Once you have arrived, our healers will take care of you then you can tell King Thranduil what happened."

"Will we be in trouble?" Lisbeth asked. "Aria killed someone."

"No little one. Far from it." Legolas assured her. He turned from the girls and walked towards his brother who took Aria from him so that he could mount his horse.

"Be safe," Laurian said, handing Aria's frail body to Legolas. She had always been small but this was ridiculous. Legolas adjusted his grip on her, so that he didn't injure her any more than she already was and also so that he could ride fast.

"I will be. See you soon."

He willed his horse in a run through the forest towards his father's halls. Aria moaned slightly and curled up close to him as they rode. "I know it hurts. But soon all the pain will be gone. Try to rest," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Aria. Just know that."

She gently smiled as she fell into a restless sleep as he led them to safety.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN and Disclaimer:**** Only Aria is mine….I just realized that with softball season coming up, I won't have time to write as much because I will be sooooo tired from coaching. So enjoy daily updates while they last and please more loving! Reviews are like crack for my muse….so addicting!**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

"Make them stop!" Aria sobbed as she curled into Legolas' opened arms and lay against his chest.

"I'm here aren't I?" he gently asked wrapping his arms around her. He made sure that he didn't brush against her slash wound on her side. "That is all I can do…"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"None of this is your fault," he replied, gently kissing her forehead. "What else would you like me to do, meleth nin?"

"Never let me go."

"I never will. Now try to get some sleep. You are far too weak to be staying up. Rest is what the healers ordered. Your ada will be here soon and he would tell you the same thing."

Aria nodded as she closed her eyes and snuggled into his embrace a little more. Legolas watched in the dim moonlight as Aria fell in a restless sleep in his arms. It was far better than what she had been in a few minutes ago, when she had woken up screaming from nightmares. It tore at his heart to see her like this. He had seen her upset before, even seen her injured before from a fall from a horse but nothing like this.

As he watched over her sleep in his arms, he thought about the last few hours and the tormenting experience it had been – for both him and her. When he had arrived with her at Mirkwood earlier that day, she had refused to let go of him while the healers cleaned her wounds and took care of her. He tried to reassure her that he would only be outside in the hallway, but she started screaming her head off. He then relented and gave in. He absolutely hated to see Aria suffering. He watched as the healers gently cleaned and dressed her wound, only eliciting a few screams of pain from Aria, who was trying to bury herself into his chest. During those times, he gently whispered reassuring words to her to calm her down, letting her know that it would soon be ok. But then came the looks of worry from the healers the more they threated her for wounds and that was also when Aria began to sob. He had asked what was wrong and immediately wished he hadn't.

"_My Prince, the elves do not have a word for what has happened to her. But it is what men called raped…"_ one of the healers had told him in a low voice.

Raped.

He had heard that word before and knew exactly what it meant. It angered him that something so precious and innocent as his Elin – his Aria would be violated in such an extreme and horrific way. The men who had done this to her and the other girls were as low as the dwarves in his book. And that was pretty low.

Once he knew that Aria was finally asleep, Legolas allowed himself to drift off to sleep for a few hours. He knew that even though Aria and the others were safe, it was still going to be a long few days.

* * *

"Where is Aria?" Mara asked as she, Lisbeth and Belen as settled into their room in the Halls of Healing. The healers had wanted to keep them all together for the time being, especially after the incident earlier with Aria and not wanting to be parted from Legolas.

"I haven't seen her since we arrived with Laurian." Belen said, settling on her bed.

"What if she died?" Lisbeth asked.

A healer walked in to check and see if they needed anything else for the night before they gave each girl a sleeping draught to help them sleep – hopefully without any nightmares. "We were wondering about our friend, Aria. Where is she?" Mara asked.

"Fret not, little one. She was treated and is now resting. You shall see her in the morning."

Semi satisfied with the answer, the girls drank the draught and tried to get some sleep. But little came to them as well. They too were haunted by nightmares of their ordeal.

* * *

Thranduil slowly walked the halls of Mirkwood. He checked on the three young women in the Halls of Healing first. The healers had reported to him that they were all soundly sleeping after a second dosage of the sleeping draught because of nightmares that had awoken them. He figured that it was to be expected with the ordeal that they had gone through. Earlier the head healer had reported all the injuries to him – detailed per young woman. And each of them was the same with the exception of the slash wound to Aria's side.

They all had been beaten. They all had been raped. They all had been starved. Those were just the physical wounds. There was no way to tell the mental traumas that had been sustained.

After leaving the Halls of Healing, he made his way towards the bedchambers where Aria was resting. He knew that Legolas would be with her. She had not allowed him to leave her side since they had arrived at Mirkwood earlier in the day. And he had doubted that his son would leave her side anytime soon. Thranduil quietly opened the door a crack and peered in. Aria was sound asleep wrapped in Legolas' protective embrace on the bed. Part of him frowned at the idea of Legolas holding Aria in such an intimate way. Yet, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was going to have to accept his son's relationship if he wanted to keep his son in his life.

Had she had a nightmare that she couldn't escape from? Perhaps.

Had he just wanted to make sure that she wasn't taken again? Perhaps.

Whatever the case may be, the devotion that his son had shown towards this human was remarkable. Perhaps this tragedy had been what it took for him to see that.

* * *

Aria's eyes slowly parted to the bright sunshine pouring into her room. It felt so warm and welcoming on her face. Oh how she had missed this feeling for so long. She turned her face up a bit and gently placed a soft kissed into the neck of her sleeping prince – but she knew better.

"I'm sorry for sleeping so long and keeping you hostage in this bed," she said, slowly moving to sit up. Her body still ached from all her beatings and the deep slash wound to her side. Legolas had stayed with her the entire night, holding her after she woke up screaming from nightmares. Before that he had been sleeping in a chair next to her bed after he had brought her from the Halls of Healing to her bedchambers that she used when visiting Mirkwood.

"It is perfectly fine with me," he said as he continued to lie against the bed and look up at her with a smile on his face.

"What?" she asked returning his smile.

"I just thought that it might take longer for your smile to return," he said, gently running his finger down the side of her arm. "That's all."

"You make me smile," she replied leaning over and kissing his lips. She curled back up against his chest for a few minutes before they both knew they had to get up and prepare for the day.

* * *

"A meeting with the King!" Belen squealed. "I've heard stories about King Thranduil before but I never thought that I would get to meet him!"

Mara shook her head in disbelief. "Just make sure that you behave. He does understand that we all just had a bad experience. I guess that he wants to hear about it."

"I hope we get to go home soon." Lisbeth said as the group was led down the halls towards the Great Hall of Mirkwood. The other two agreed. The girls had been awoken that morning, given clean dresses to wear and told that the king and his family had invited them to breakfast. They had quickly made themselves presentable before being led towards the Great Hall.

After a minute or so longer, the girls were led into a room where a long table was set up with some of the most spectacular foods that they had ever smelled, let alone seen. At the far end of the table sat the two elves who had saved them yesterday, along with another female elf, another elf who was wearing a crown of some sort – they all took him to be King Thranduil. Then they all saw Aria. She quickly got up from the table and made her way towards the other girls. "Come on my friends, breakfast is waiting!"

She led the girls towards the table and introduced everyone. "Your majesty, this is Mara, Lisbeth and Belen. My friends this is his Highness King Thranduil of the Mirkwood Realm and his sons Laurian and Legolas. And this is Laurian's wife, Talia." Aria said.

King Thranduil nodded to his guests before everyone sat down.

The conversation of breakfast was casual and nothing about the ordeal that the girls had gone through was brought up. Though the question did come up about how Aria knew the King and his family.

"She was raised by elves," Laurian answered for her. "Plus she has a thing for pointy ears."

Thranduil threw his eldest son a glaring look while everyone else laughed. Laurian simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Belen and Lisbeth, since you are both from the Kingdom of Rhovanion you will be able to return to your families as soon as your wounds have healed and my healers have released you from their care. It shouldn't be too many more days." Thranduil said once breakfast was over. "You will escorted home by several of my guards with an explanation to your families as to what happened and what has been done to those who did this to you."

"What has been done to them sir?" Belen asked.

"I'm going to let the Rangers of the North take care of them. My guards are keeping them secure for the time being. But since most of the kidnappings took place in their region, I will allow them to enforce judgment."

Aria smiled as she looked down at the table. She knew exactly why he was doing this. Aragorn was in command of the Rangers. Her elf twin brothers rode with the Rangers. And most of the Rangers who were under her brother's command felt that she was their little sister at some point since she was their healer.

"When will I be able to return to my home in Gondor?" Mara asked.

"Once the Rangers arrive, they will be able to escort you home." Thranduil said.

* * *

Thranduil sighed as he waited for his son to join him in his study. He knew that Legolas wanted to spend every waking moment with Aria, making sure that she didn't disappear into a void – but this was important.

"Talia said that you wished to see me Adar?" Legolas said walking into the study.

The king nodded and approached his son. "I will make this quick. I've watched you over the past few weeks and you've had your ups and downs all thanks in part to this human. I remember way back in a time when I was that way too. And there is not a moment that I do not miss your mother. I admit I was skeptical at first, but I'm beginning to think that Laurian was correct in saying that Aria is your match in life. So I want you to have this."

He took his son's hand and in it placed a glittering gemstone stone on a delicate chain. The gemstone was cut into the shape of a star. "This was your mother's. But now I want you to give it to Aria."

In shock, Legolas gaped at the necklace for a moment then at his father. "Really?"

"Yes. If she makes you truly happy then savor every moment you have with her."

"Thank you Adar," Legolas said hugging his father in a rare moment of tenderness before turning and heading back to where he had left Aria reading a book.

Thranduil couldn't help but smile as he watched his son walk away. He knew that he had done the right thing.


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN and Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine. The rest belong to Tolkien. Anyways, I have updated and added things to all the previous chapters. So feel free to go back and read them if you would like. Not too much was added, just a few things here and there. Anyways, enjoy and please, pretty please review!**_

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**Chapter Seven**

As Legolas made his way back to the balcony where he had left Aria reading with her new friends, he debated about he wanted to go about giving her the necklace. Should he do it then? Should he wait? He was so indecisive. Part of him just wanted to pull Aria in to his arms and ask her to be his wife right then and there, binding himself to her. Yet part of him wanted to wait until her wounds had healed. Then there was the issue that he had talked to Gandalf about. Should he wait until the Istari had told him about anything he found?

His thoughts about their future together could wait for the mean time. Right now, he was more concerned about Aria healing from her attack. She barely slept the night before and that was only after find comfort in his arms. Before that she had not wanted him to leave her side, even while she was treated for her injuries; while earlier that morning during her bath, she had made him sit outside and guard the door while she bathed. Even at breakfast he noticed small changes. She picked more at her food than she ate it. With these changes in the last day, Legolas hoped that none of the changes would become permanent.

Time heals all wounds – he knew this; so hopefully in time the wounds that Aria and the other girls had sustained would all heal. Perhaps the healers from Rivendell could help as well. If not, then perhaps just the thought of not being still held captive would do. Whatever the case may be, he would never leave her side until he knew that Aria was fully healed or she sent him away.

Once he had reached the balcony's doorway, he stood there in silence for a moment and watched Aria's interaction with the other girls. She was telling them a story of some kind, probably one that she was told when she was a child in Rivendell as they all sat in the sunlight. All four girls looked hundreds of times better than they had been the previous day.

"Do you three mind if I steal Aria away for a walk?" Legolas asked, walking into the sunlight after a few minutes. Perhaps having Aria do some of the normal things she did when visiting Mirkwood, would help her recover.

No one disagreed as Legolas helped Aria stand up and walked away.

"What was that all about?" she asked once they were out of earshot. "You could have simply said 'let's go for our walk.' I'm sure they get the idea that we are together."

"I wanted to have a little decorum since they are guests."

"Sorry," she said looking away.

"It's fine, meleth nin," he said pulling her flush against him as they walked. "I only want you to get better. That's why we're going for our normal walk."

"Me too," she said sighing. "But I'm still so tired. Can we just take a short walk instead and find some place to sit?"

"Of course. I know just the place."

* * *

Legolas led her to a tall old tree not far into the forest that sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking a valley. There he lay down a blanket that he a brought with them on the ground. He sat down first and pulled Aria into his arms as they sat against the tree.

"I would come here when I was younger a lot. I usually sat up in the tree, but I doubt that you are up for climbing," he said wrapping his arms gently around her.

"Not at the moment," she said with a small smile. "Maybe in a few weeks. But it is a beautiful sight from right here."

"It's not the only thing that is beautiful in my eyes." Legolas said looking down at her. Aria blushed.

"I'm far from beautiful. Especially now. Why would you even still want to be with me since I am ruined? I had been waiting for whomever I was to marry and now that has been robbed from me. No one will want to be with me after what has happened. I'm no good for anyone."

Her voice trailed off as tears weld up in her eyes. She sniffled and wiped them away before the tears could fall.

"I don't see it like that," Legolas gently whispered in her ear. "I still love you. I want to be with you, because you complete me. I cannot breathe without you unless I know that you are safe. I rode for days in search of you until I would collapse from exhaustion. Laurian would have to force me to rest. I was determined to have you back safe in my arms. I would rather die a 1,000 deaths then to see you suffer any more than you are now."

A small smile crept across her face as she laced her fingers together with Legolas' and leaned against him as he kept talking.

"I still have every intention on marrying you, Aria. I don't care what it takes; I want to bind myself fully to you – in every way possible," he said continuing to whisper in her ear. "You are not ruined in my eyes. You are still the only one who can make my heart race and I feel that I can do anything. Not in all the centuries that I have been alive has anyone but you made that happen."

She gently squeezed his hands and pressed a kiss into them.

"Now close your eyes."

She did what was asked. She felt him move her hair away from her neck and gently slipped his mother's necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp. "Ok you can open them."

Her hands slowly went up towards her neck as she felt the thin chain and down to the star shaped gemstone. She looked down at it and gasped. "This is too much! I cannot take this!"

"I want you to have it. It was my mother's. She had been my star for a large part of my life, but now you are. You guide my directions, Elin nin. You are my star."

She turned around and knelt in between his legs as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in and kissed him deeply on the lips. Legolas placed his hands gently on her hips to help balance her. He knew that she was bruised there and he did not want to hurt her any more then she already was. He deepened the kiss as he felt her fingertips gently brush against the base of his neck. He melted into Aria's embrace before finally breaking the kiss.

"Will you marry me, Aria?" he breathed after their kiss as he gazed into her light grey eyes. The words had just stumbled out of his mouth before he had time to think. It just felt right.

"Of course I will," she said smiling as she leaned down and kissed her prince once again.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a rare sense of bliss. Gentle kisses were abundant as well as gentle promises for the future. Both eager to start a new segment of their lives together, they both knew that it would be for the best if they waited until all of Aria's wounds were healed. Even then it wouldn't be that long of a wait.

* * *

Upon their return to Mirkwood, Aria and Legolas were greeted with another surprise. Gandalf stood waiting for them outside.

"I wasn't expecting you to return to these halls so soon," Legolas said greeting the wizard.

"Nor was I, but things have changed. Now is this the young woman you spoke about?" Gandalf said, looking at Aria with a smile on his face. "Of course you must be. I am Gandalf the Grey. I am a close friend of your father, Lord Elrond."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir," Aria said.

"The pleasure is all mine, especially now," he said offering his hand to Aria, who took it as he led her over to a nearby bench. He sat her down and sat next to her. Legolas stood over them both, wondering what was going on.

"Now, concentrate on your future," Gandalf said as he held Aria's hand within his own. She did what she was asked, closing her eyes. Images swam around her until finally settling on one last one. It was of a ship with her and Legolas both on it. A smile spread across her face.

"While foresight, the future is never certain. Yet I promise you that the last image you saw is. Stay true to your heart and everything will be ok in the end. I do know what has been done to you and I wish that there was something I could do to make the pain go away for you and the others, but there is not. Just know the little happiness that I was able to provide you." Gandalf said as he stood up.

"Thank you," she said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"This was not my doing, but yours." Gandalf said as he rested on his staff. "Goodbye for now, we shall meet again soon."

They watched as Gandalf walked away into the forest. Once he was out of sight, Legolas turned to Aria and asked what she had seen.

"Should it really matter?" she said with a smile. "We'll be together and that's all that matters."

* * *

Even with the happiness of the day's events fading with the sunset, sleep did not come easily for Aria that night. She insisted that Legolas lay with her in bed and not sit in a chair right from the start. He gave in since he knew that when she had been lying in his arms the previous night, she had gotten to sleep.

But even lying in Legolas' protective embrace, Aria found sleep evading her.

"I can get you a draught for dreamless sleep from the healers," Legolas suggested after she had tossed and turned in his arms for over an hour.

"I just don't want nightmares at all. The only things I see when I close my eyes to go to sleep are those awful men."

Finally, Legolas managed to get her to sleep through a combination of humming to her and gently running his fingers along her arms and back. He sighed in relief that Aria had managed to be lulled to sleep. She needed her rest so that she could heal. Hopefully she would sleep though the night.

* * *

"LET GO OF ME!"

Aria thrashed around violently in Legolas' arms, hitting and punching at him as she screamed for him to let go of her. He had been awoken by this sudden and violent outburst. He did what she asked and when he saw that the screams and thrashing continued, he gently took ahold of her shoulders and tried to wake her from the nightmare she was in.

"Aria! Aria! Wake up! It's only a dream," he said pleading with her.

Slowly her eyes parted and they adjusted to the dim light in the room. When she saw Legolas sitting next to her, holding her shoulders, she realized that it all had been a dream. "Make them stop!" she said beginning to cry. "Please Legolas, make them stop…"

Gathering her in his arms and settling back in bed, he let her cry out against his chest. "If there was a way for me to, I would. You know in a heartbeat I would," he whispered to her.

Slowly her breathing calmed down and she began to fall back into sleep. Silently Legolas hoped that no other dreams would plague her that night.

* * *

She felt a hand gently run across her forehead then down her cheek. She knew this touch from the many times that she was sick when she was a little girl. "Ada?" she asked opening her eyes.

"Yes, iell nin." Elrond said, as he sat on the side of Aria's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I hurt and there are nightmares," she said as she sat up and looked around her room. Standing behind her father were the twins. But where was Aragorn?

"Your brother will be here soon," Elrond said, sensing exactly what his daughter was thinking. "He and the Rangers had stuff to take care of, while I had to twins ride with me to make sure you and the other girls were safe."

She smiled then leaned forward and hugged her father.

Slowly her world was coming back together.

* * *

_**AN #2:**__** Next chapter will focus on the relationship between Aragorn and Aria. I wanted their chapter to be independent from all the others. Don't forget to review!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**AN and Disclaimer:**** I own only Aria =)**

**Anyways, my muse is begging for reviews from some of my new people who have added this story and never reviewed, or those who add this story without reviewing…come on you know who you are! Please, pretty please review! Reviews make me happy! So enjoy!**

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**Chapter 8:  
**

"Where is she?" Aragorn immediately asked as soon as he dismounted his horse in the stables of Mirkwood. Elladan greeted him there.

"She is with Ada and Legolas. They are all talking with King Thranduil at the moment. Elrohir is down in the Halls of Healing helping tend to the other girls that were with Aria when she was found. All of them are suffering from nightmares. He's trying some relaxing techniques with them. We'll try them on Aria later."

"Is that all she is suffering from? The men and I found two dead bodies at that house. The Woodland Guard that was there said something about Aria doing that."

"From what I've gathered, she did kill those two men so that she and the girls could escape. It's bad, Aragorn. I'm not going to lie. She's lost a lot of weight, she barely sleeps, she won't let Legolas leave her side and she barely ate anything this morning."

"What of her injuries?" Aragorn asked as they began to walk into the palace.

"Bruises from beatings – several of them, she also has a large slash wound to her side. But the worst thing is that she and the other girls were all raped."

"What!" Aragorn growled as he turned on his elf brother.

"I speak only the truth."

"All the more reason that I allowed the Rangers to rid Middle Earth of the filth of those men. The others will join us shortly with more girls that the vile filth of men had kidnapped. I rode ahead to be with Aria."

"I will inform the other healers that more girls will be arriving shortly."

Aragorn nodded as he departed from his brother and headed for the Great Hall of Mirkwood. He needed to see just how bad Aria looked for himself. As he walked, he thought about what he was going to first say to Aria. Would he apologize for not being there? Would he simply hug her? Would he do both? He had always felt that he needed to protect her from harm, which usually his instincts were right about when she was in danger. Like when they were younger and often times got lost around Rivendell when trying to keep up with Elladan and Elrohir. But this time he hadn't been.

As he entered the Great Hall, he was surprised to hear a light and happy conversation taking place between his father, Aria, Legolas and Thranduil. He wasn't sure what they were discussing, but it was obvious that it wasn't about what had taken place just a few days ago. He stood back for a moment and observed the situation in front of him. The two elf lords were engaged in conversation with input every so often from either Aria or Legolas – both of whom had smiles on their faces. Aria sat close to Legolas, who had his arm draped around her waist loosely. But what caught Aragorn's attention the most was when Legolas gently brushed a kiss against Aria's forehead – neither father did anything about it. He knew that Aria and Legolas were together and that they had finally admitted their feelings to each other after so long, but had they finally told their fathers as well? What was going on?

Aragorn took a step forward and immediately Aria's attention was on him. She smiled, left the conversation that she was in and headed towards him. They met halfway across the Great Hall and embraced. Hesitant about how tightly to hug her, Aragorn gently wrapped his arms around his sister as she hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Aria," he whispered, leaning over and kissing the top of her head since she was just a few inches shorter than he was.

"It's ok," she said looking up at him with tears running down her bruised face. "You can't always protect me."

He gently placed a finger under her chin and moved her face from side to side so that he could get a better look at the bruising on her face. Although the bruising was fading, it was still there. It was obvious that she had been smacked across both cheeks, near her right eye and even grabbed around her throat a time or two from the looks of it. Even her collarbone was all bruised up. And the dark circles from lack of sleep were not helping her case any. If this was how her upper body looked, there was no telling what the rest of her looked liked. Anger was building up inside of him. How could anyone do this to another living being?

"Come on," she said, sensing his anger. "Let's go some place and talk."

"But what about them?" he said motioning towards the King and their Ada, who was still in deep conversation. Legolas had turned and watched them for a second.

"Concessions and agreements." Aria said. "Legolas can handle it for the both of us."

"Both of you?"

"Come on, I'll explain," she said leading him out of the Great Hall.

She led him to one of her favorite places in Mirkwood Hall – the balcony where she loved to read. Even though most of Mirkwood was inside caverns, this area was not. They sat down on one of the benches and Aragorn took ahold of her arms and gently pushed up the loose sleeves of her dress. She cringed in a bit of pain as he brushed over her bruises. These bruises were darker then the ones on her face and neck.

"Aria…" he breathed. "What happened?"

She sighed as pulled her arms back from her brother and placed them gently in her lap. Tears weld up in her eyes as she looked down at her hands and her body began to shake. Aragorn gently pulled her close and whispered calming words to her in elvish. She leaned into his shoulder and sniffled.

"It's alright, don't tell me. Elladan told me what the healers had told him. But did this happen to all the girls?"

She nodded yes into his shoulder. "I tried to take more beatings than Lisbeth and Belen. I even offered myself more towards the end, but it didn't work all the time. They are so young; it just wasn't fair. Mara would too once she knew what I was doing."

"The others are impressed by your handy work on the two men that you did manage to take out," Aragorn said.

She forced a smile. "I have the wound to match it," she said rubbing her side gently.

"All this will heal in time." Aragorn said smiling at her. "Now what is this around you neck?"

Aria gently ran her fingers along the slender chain and down to the star gem that hung down at the end. "Legolas gave it to me."

"So I take it that everyone knows now?"

"Yes, though King Thranduil took some time to get used to the idea. Legolas never really explained why he had a sudden change of heart."

"Then what was with the concessions and agreements between him and Ada?"

"Oh that! Legolas and I are to be married!"

"Excuse me?" Aragorn asked, making sure that his hearing was correct. "Married?"

"Yes, married. The concessions and agreements are about living arrangements. You know that King Thranduil is keen on having Legolas stay here even though he isn't the Crown Prince? And Ada isn't very happy about me not being able to travel to Rivendell, especially on the celebration days in the spring, summer and fall. So the deal is that we live in Rivendell during the spring and summer and Mirkwood during the fall, after the celebration days and through the winter since the passes will not be passable unless we go all the way around through Gondor. That was the biggest issue that was to be discussed."

"Aria…what about when you age and well, Legolas does not? There is no way that you can travel to the undying lands."

"The Valar do make exceptions. And just like Ada and his brother had to choose their own paths in life, therefore we must choose our own. Except there is a difference, I have a choice and you have very little."

"I will never be King," he adamantly said.

"We are still young, things may change. Who knows, I may become a great warrior like you while you may become King."

"And what do your visions tell you? They are rarely wrong."

She only smiled.

* * *

The rest of the day sped by. Not long after Aragorn had arrived, the rest of the Rangers had arrived with several other kidnapped girls. Thankfully, none of these girls had serious injuries. Mainly they were shaken up by the entire ordeal. The healers tended to them and administered a sleeping draught to them all. Hopefully none of these girls experienced any nightmares during the night, since the healers were running low on sleeping draught.

As for Mara, Lisbeth and Belen – all of them managed to sleep through the night thanks to the relaxation techniques that Elrohir had tried with them. Yet, the twins were worried that it might not work on Aria since she had talked about the ordeal with Aragorn that day and it brought back up the painful memories. But she was willing to try anything to get to sleep. She was teetering on the edge of complete exhaustion anyways. So it might just do the trick.

The twins had her prepare for bed then lay down on her bed. She did what they asked. "Now, we're going to apply a little pressure to various points on your body," Elrohir said standing next to her bedside.

"So it may hurt just a little bit." Elladan added.

"Please make it quick," she pleaded.

The twins set to work gently pressuring and massaging along her arms, legs, shoulders, feet and different pressure points to relieve tension. Legolas watched from the side as he saw the tension in Aria's body loosen somewhat. After a few minutes, her eyes began to droop. The twins each placed a soft kiss on their sister's forehead and left the room, leaving her and Legolas alone. Legolas had to admit that Aria did look relaxed as she lay on the bed.

He stood up from his chair and gently pulled the sheets up around her so that she didn't get cold in the cool night air.

"Legolas?" she mumbled, half asleep.

"Yes, meleth nin?"

"Hold me?"

"Just let me change into sleep clothes and then I will," he said brushing a soft kiss against her lips, which she sleepily returned.

He quickly slipped into the bathroom and changed into the sleep clothes that he had brought with him into the room, knowing that Aria was going want him to hold her once again. There was no way that he would deny her. He quickly changed then made his way back into her room and slipped into bed with her. By that time she was fast asleep.

Thank the Valar.

Now if only she would sleep the entire night, he thought to himself as he slipped his arms gently around her and molded his body around hers like a shield protecting her from anything and everything.

* * *

A kiss followed by a whisper of 'I love you' brought a smile to Legolas' face as he slowly opened his eyes. In his arms, Aria lay looking up at him with a smile on her face.

"What?" he asked, gently tracing a finger down her back, avoiding the known bruises.

"It's morning and I slept all night."

He turned his head towards the window and saw the first rays of sunlight slowly peaking their way inside. "Yes you did," he said with a smile, leaning down to kiss her. "Have any dreams?"

"Just one."

"What was that?"

"Just our wedding and my future with you. That's all."

"That sounds like a perfect dream to me. And in a few days, it will all come true."

"I can't wait."


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN and Disclaimer **__**: Only Aria is mine – Enjoy and see the other AN at the bottom!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 9**_

It had been well over two weeks since the girls had first arrived in Mirkwood and it had been several days since any of them had any nightmares for their entire ordeal. They all had been moved out of the Halls of Healing and into guest quarters within the palace at Thranduil's request. Aria had asked if they could all stay for her and Legolas' wedding ceremony and celebration. He had obliged.

The other girls though had been treated and taken home by the Rangers to their homes, since most of them had been taken from the Kingdom of Rhovanion. Even Aria had slept through most nights, yet occasionally woke up with nightmares. And every time, her prince was there to lull her back to sleep. The twins had taught Legolas the pressure points on Aria's body to relax her, which typically worked.

Each night that Aria woke up with a nightmare, it tugged at Legolas' heart. He hated to see his beloved in pain. While her physical injuries were healed, her mental traumas were not. He knew that through bonding, he could help a little – yet he didn't want to do that until they were married.

But could humans and elves really share a full bond?

Well there was that dream he had when Aria was missing…perhaps Lord Elrond could help answer some of his questions.

* * *

Legolas hesitantly approached the Rivendell lord. He had spoken to him several times, but never really one on one. But there was something that was bugging him about Aria and he needed to ask her father about it since he might know the answer. "Lord Elrond?"

The elf lord looked up at him. "Yes Legolas? Is something wrong with Aria?"

"No sir, she's visiting with Belen and Lisbeth before they leave to return home tomorrow. But I have a question about Aria."

"What's that?"

"A few nights before Aria was found, I had a dream about the area that we found her in. And in this dream I heard her whisper goodbye to me. It felt so real. I've never felt anything like that before."

Elrond smiled at the younger elf prince. "Legolas that is the bond between you and Aria. As elves, we bind ourselves to one mate for life. And by then you had decided that you wanted to bind yourself to Aria correct?"

"Yes."

"Your connection had already been forged even though you both were unaware of it. Now that you know the two of you can build on it and strengthen it. I'm not exactly sure how it will work with her being part human, but we shall see."

"Part human? I thought she only had a fraction of elvish blood."

"Oh that is true. But Aria is unique, if you haven't figured that out. Yet I know that you talked to Gandalf about finding out a way for you and Aria to spend forever together and travel to the Undying Lands if that were to be the case."

"He told you?"

Elrond nodded. "Aria and Aragorn come from a line of kings descended from my brother, Elros. He made the choice to live as a mortal while I chose to live as an elf. My own children have made this decision, as will your future children. I have watched over this line from generation to generation. Some have been done great things, while others have fallen. Then every so often there are the unique ones – the twins."

"Normally there aren't twins born?"

"No." Elrond said, continuing his story. "They aren't born often. Just as twins aren't born often to elves. So you could consider my sons unique as well. Yet I noticed that when twins were born in the descendants of Elros, they might have been powerful leaders or even gone on to do other things for Middle Earth. Then there are a few that the Valar have granted to sail West."

"Who was the last?"

"Elendil's twin sister. I made sure that she left myself. It was shortly after Sauron's defeat and Elendil's death. She was very much like Aria. She too had fallen in love with an elf and became pregnant with his child. Sadly, the elf died during the battle against Sauron. The Valar granted her passage to Valinor."

"That's why she said that we'd be together."

Elrond nodded.

"Will she grow old still?"

"Whose to say? Dúnedain are all different. But she still has many years ahead of her. So do not worry." Elrond said with a smile. "Now don't you have a wedding ceremony to get ready for?"

* * *

The Great Mirkwood Hall was full of onlookers and well wishers. Legolas was thankful that so many were accepting of his choice as a bride. Aria had been worried that she would be shunned for being an outsider in Mirkwood, while in Rivendell she was not. He had assured her that she would be fine. She had spent some time there over the last few years, so that helped a bit.

Several of the Rangers, as well as the elves that had come with Lord Elrond from Rivendell also waited patiently for the wedding ceremony to begin.

If Legolas had it his way, it would have been him, Aria and just their families. But his father over ruled their wishes on his matter. He made it clear that the kingdom deserved to see whom their prince was marrying.

So instead he, Laurian and Aragorn stood at the front of the hall waiting for the procession to begin. Gandalf stood with them as well, since he would preside over the ceremony at the request of Aria.

Legolas took a nervous breath and smoothed the bottom of his bluish silver tunic he was wearing, before running his hands nervously through his hair – trying not to knock his circlet out of place. Behind him, Laurian placed a reassuring hand on his little bother's shoulder. "It will be fine," he whispered at his brother. Legolas nodded. He took another nervous breath. He already knew that his bonding with Aria was non-traditional in the elvish sense - especially for an elvish prince. Technically, they had not courted for very long nor had they been engaged for the normal year. But what between him and Aria was normal? In retrospect, both his father and Lord Elrond had agreed that the faster that he and Aria were to marry, the fast that the mental scars she had might heal. That was why they were marrying so soon after their engagement. Besides he knew that Aria was the one for him. He had known it since the first night they had talked.

Slowly the bridal procession began. First came Mara. She and Aria had grown close after their ordeal and it seemed fitting to include her in the wedding. After her came Talia. Then last was Aria escorted by Lord Elrond. Legolas' nervous melted away as soon as he saw his Aria approaching him from the back of the hall. Her dress was a mix of white material was tiny silver threads throughout and she wore a simple mithril circlet that was one of the ones the Rivendell elves wore. She carried a bouquet of flowers that had been picked from the Mirkwood forest. A smile appeared on her face as soon as her grey eyes met his vivid blue ones.

They held their gaze until they stood next to each other, clasping hands and reciting their vows to each other. One thing that was a bit out of tradition for elves, but not for humans, Legolas and Aria exchanged simple mithril rings. This had been a surprise that Legolas had done for his bride. He hadn't told her of his idea until the night before.

The vows had been spoken.

Rings had been exchanged.

Now it was time for Gandalf to utter the phrase that Legolas couldn't wait for. "You may kiss the bride."

Legolas smiled as he pulled Aria close, cupped her face and gently, yet deeply kissed her lips. Of course she returned his kiss with as much love.

Cheers went up from around the hall as well as shouts of congratulations once they separated from their first kiss as husband and wife. But neither of them heard any of it. The only thing that mattered to either of them at that moment was that the new beginnings of their life together.

* * *

**AN #2:**** Ok so I know that Elendil did not have a twin sister. I just wrote that in for this story. So don't complain at me. But then again….Aragorn didn't have a twin sister either! Also I'm thinking of writing next chapter about Legolas and Aria's wedding night….in detail. So that means that this story would go to an M rating….plus it might help for later chapters to. What do ya'll think? I'll debate on it before I make up my mind. Then if I did that I could go back and add detail to the rape scenes or even do a detailed dream of Aria's in the future. So let me know in a review! **


	10. Chapter 10

**AN and Disclaimer:** ** I own only Aria – everyone else belongs to Tolkien  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Legolas held Aria close to him as they danced to the soft music and he couldn't help but smile. The day had been perfect. He pressed a kiss against his wife's forehead as she laid her head against his shoulder.

Yet he was nervous. And he was pretty sure that Aria was as well, but she would never let on that she was. But he wasn't nervous about being intimate with his wife. No, he was nervous about how Aria was going to handle the entire situation.

It had only been a few weeks since the horrific events that had left deep mental scars for Aria. While the physical ones had all healed, Legolas was pretty sure that the mental ones had not. Her nightly visits with nightmares had all but vanished, but there were times that he knew that Aria would be thinking about what had happened to her. That would be when he would quickly do something to change her thought process – give her a kiss, ask her a question, distract her – anything to get her thinking again.

Maybe, just maybe, he could replace some of those bad memories with some good ones.

"Come on," he whispered. "Let's slip away before too many notice that we've taken our leave for the night."

Aria looked up at him and nodded, biting her bottom lip a little. Legolas gently kissed her lips before leading her out of the Great Hall.

* * *

Legolas led her through silent corridors in a part of the palace that she had never been in before. She figured that this had to be where the Royal Family resided. Then it dawned on her. That now meant her as well. While she was lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed that her husband had stopped, then quickly swept her up into his arms. The look of surprise on her face brought a small chuckle to his lips.

"You need to learn to stop daydreaming, meleth nin," he said as he entered a room that was lit by candlelight. He carried her inside then set her back on her feet. "These are my quarters – well our quarters now," he said as he shut and latched the door behind him.

Aria took in the large expanse of a room around her. It was a circular room with a large bed in the center, along with a picture window. She noticed that Legolas' various bows were strewn about in one of the corners near a chair along with his dual long knives. Then he had several bookshelves of books. Lastly there was a shelf full of woodcarvings of various animals. The room was very humble, not too fancy but so Legolas.

"It's perfect," she said turning towards him and smiling.

Without saying a word, Legolas leaned down and captured his wife in a fiery kiss – pouring all his love, fear, anxiety and desire into that one kiss. Aria returned the kiss with just as much emotion – if not more. As they broke apart from their kiss after several seconds, a tear slipped down Aria's cheek. "What is it meleth nin?" Legolas asked, wiping the tear away.

"Nerves," she whispered avoiding her husband's piercing blue eyes.

"I have them too," he whispered back.

She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Make me yours," she softly said.

"As you wish, meleth nin," he said as he gently ran a hand down the side of her face before taking the circlet out of her hair and allowing it all to cascade around her face as he set the circlet to the side. He had already taken his out and set it to the side when Aria was looking around his room. No need for adornments – they would only get in the way.

Neither of them knew exactly what to expect for their first time together as husband and wife. For both of them there were more nerves than anything. Yet for Aria, it was more about being taken care of after her entire ordeal at the hands of her attackers. She knew that Legolas would always take care of her. But she still wanted him to know.

"I love you Legolas." Aria said, snuggling in his arms and kissing him after their first time bonding. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Always my love. Always," he said kissing her once again as he rolled off her and began another round of love making with his wife.

* * *

**AN: So if you want to read the smutty version of this chapter, read the story: "Reflections: The Alternative Chapters"**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer****: Aria is mine….see AN at bottom**

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

Legolas smiled down at the sleeping figure splayed against his chest as images of the previous night replayed themselves over and over again in his head. It had been perfect. He had waited for so long to find his match and it had been worth the wait. There had been other elf maidens who had tried to win his heart in the past, yet he had known deep down there was someone else for him. And here she was.

His Aria.

He gently twirled a strand of her loose hair around his finger while his other hand slowly traced the curve of one of her exposed breasts against his chest then down along her slender waist and thigh before gently resting on her hip, where he pulled the thin sheet up around them more. He could feel how cold her skin was in the cool Mirkwood morning.

"I could get used to this for eternity," she said, slowly waking up. She turned her head and placed a kiss into Legolas' bare chest before turning her face up towards him.

"That's the plan," he said brushing the hair out of her face before leaning down and kissing her lips softly. "How do you feel?"

"Loved."

"Loved?"

She nodded as she sat up in bed and reached for Legolas' fallen tunic top from floor from the night before and slipped it on. Legolas sat there for a second, waiting for whatever she needed to tell him. He knew that it was something – he could feel it through their newly created bond. "Whatever it is, Aria. Please tell me. Never be afraid to tell me anything," he said picking up her hand and squeezing it.

She looked at him as tears weld up in her eyes. "It's just that I never would had thought that being intimate with someone was supposed to feel so wonderful and so right after what happened."

"That's because what happened to you was vile and inhumane," he said, moving closer to his wife and wrapping an arm around her. "And it is not what you and I have. We willing gave ourselves and our hearts to each other, there was no force behind any of it. Nor will there ever be."

She smiled at him as she nodded.

"Besides I can sense your feelings now, can't you sense mine?"

"A little."

"That's our bond. While it had already formed, it became permanent last night during our first time with each other."

She leaned in and kissed her husband. "What did I do to deserve an elf like you?"

"You were you," he replied as her kissed her in return, laying her back on the bed and discarding the tunic top once again. "That looked much better on the floor and I want to keep you to myself for just a while longer before we make our presence known to the world. Is that alright with you, meleth nin?"

Aria simply pulled him down for a long, deep kiss.

* * *

"Will you and Legolas come and see me some day?" Belen asked. The youngest girl of the group had grown attached to Aria over the last few weeks. She had grown to love Aria telling her stories during the day and also taking the time to braid her long hair from time to time.

"Perhaps," Aria said smiling at the younger girl as they said their goodbyes. She had already said goodbye to Mara and Lisbeth.

It was later that afternoon and it was also the day that Belen, Lisbeth and Mara were all going to be escorted back to their homes. The Woodland Guard would be escorting Belen and Lisbeth while Aragorn and the Rangers would be escorting Mara back to the Kingdom of Gondor. Her father and the twins, along with the rest of the delegation from Rivendell had already left that morning – shortly after Aria and Legolas finally made their appearance to the world. She would miss seeing her Ada often, but she knew that it wouldn't be forever and in a few months time, she and Legolas would be heading for Rivendell.

"Good!" Belen said throwing her arms around Aria and hugging her tightly. She leaned up and whispered something in her ear. "You do make a pretty princess."

"Thank you," Aria whispered back before helping Belen up onto the horse.

She stepped back as the Woodland Guard, Belen and Lisbeth set off into the Kingdom of Rhovanion to reunite two families. Hopefully it would all turn out for the best. Legolas and Aragorn walked up behind her.

"We are leaving too," Aragorn said. "Best to get a move on before it gets too late. Gondor is several days ride."

Aria didn't say a word, but just hugged her brother. Legolas stood by and watched. He knew that the twins were close, especially after they had found out the truth about their lineage. He wondered if being separated this far would have an effect on them.

"Be safe," Aragorn said, pressing a kiss into her forehead.

"Tell mom, I love her." Aria replied. "And don't get too injured. I'm not there to heal you – only the twins are."

Aragorn smiled and hugged her one last time before turning to Legolas. "Take care of her."

"I will," Legolas answered, wrapping an arm around her as they watched Aragorn walk away to join the other Rangers and Mara.

They both stood there in silence and watched as the last group disappeared. Legolas felt a twinge of sadness from his wife. "Come on," he suggested. "How about I have a warm bath drawn for you? I know that part of you is sore. And a warm bath would help loosen the muscles."

"Yet its because of you that part of me is sore," she said raising an eyebrow at him. "But it was worth it."

He smiled as he led her back into Mirkwood Hall. "So how about that bath?" he asked again.

"Only if you share it with me."

* * *

**AN:**** This chapter serves the purpose as a transitional chapter….I didn't want to jump right into married life. I had to have the other girls leave Mirkwood as well as Aragorn and company. But the next few chapters will. And for those who are wondering, this is around TA 2951ish so that would make Aragorn and Aria about 20 almost 21. Anyways, I know that there are a TON of people reading this story and favoring it still – but please review….pretty please. I love to know what you think about it…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:**** Only Aria is mine…see AN at bottom**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Aria sighed as she walked through the halls of her new home. Mirkwood was far different than Rivendell was. Rivendell had wide-open spaces where the air flowed freely in and out.

Yet, Mirkwood was confining. She knew it was for good reason. Mirkwood had once been known as Eryn Lasgalen or Greenwood, but overtime darkness had taken over the wood and all sorts of evil creatures had found refuge in its confines – Goblins, Orcs and Huge Spiders.

There was only one thing that bound her to Mirkwood - her husband. For him, she'd go to the ends of Middle Earth and back. She'd even sail to the undying lands whenever he deemed it time to. Whatever it took just to be with him. So she could live in the confines of Mirkwood for a few months each year before leaving for Rivendell. That is why Legolas and Elrond had pushed so hard for that concession from Thranduil before the wedding – they both had known how much Aria needed open spaces.

But there was something else that she noticed. Even the elves of Mirkwood had begun to treat her differently over the last few weeks. While they had been cheerful and welcoming during the wedding celebrations, as of late they had begun to treat her as an outsider who was beneath them. Yet this was only when she was alone. They wouldn't dare do this in the presence of any of the other members of the Royal Family – especially their prince or more so their King. All of this only isolated Aria more. Perhaps it had been the fact that she while grown up in Rivendell and was the adopted daughter of Lord Elrond and made the difference, but here she felt so much different. Sometimes she felt that Legolas didn't even understand her. But that feeling was fleeting and would often dissipate as soon as he held her in his arms.

Here she felt like an outsider.

Deep in her heart, she longed for Legolas to take her away from this place. To take her back to Rivendell.

* * *

Legolas walked the halls of Mirkwood looking for his wife. He knew that she was feeling down in the recent weeks and had something that could possibly cheer her up. Finally he found her in an isolated corner, curled up with a book, silently reading.

"There you are!" he happily said. "I've been looking all over for you."

She glanced up at him for a moment then right back down at her book. "You can stop putting on a façade. You are just trying to make me feel better."

"Isn't that what a good husband is supposed to do?" he asked sitting down next to her. He took the book from her hands and set it to the side. She glared at him.

"I was reading that."

"And now you're not."

She continued to glare.

"Come on," he said standing back up and holding his hand out to her. "I have something I want to show you."

Aria sighed as she took ahold of his hand and stood up. Legolas smiled and gently kissed her lips before handing her the book she had been reading back. "Come on," he said. "You will like this."

He led her towards the part of Mirkwood Hall where the Royal Family resided, yet walked past their quarters. "I know that living here has been an adjustment for you, but hopefully this will help."

"What do you mean?"

He just kept on walking a little bit further down the hallway. "Close your eyes," he said as he covered them as well.

She eyed her husband with a questioning look, but did as he asked. Legolas led her on towards a door that he pushed open with one hand. He pulled her inside and shut the door behind them. "Ok open them," he whispered, as he held onto his wife's hand

Aria opened her eyes and looked around her. Legolas had led her to larger room that was still in the Royal Family residence, yet she had never been in this room before. It was at least twice the size of their current quarters. And there was much more sunlight. She turned towards the sunlight and saw that there was an opened balcony attached to the room. Her feet immediately carried her towards her it, pulling Legolas with her. She walked out into the cool, fall air and sighed happily as Legolas wrapped his arms around her. He nuzzled his chin against her neck and placed a kiss there.

"These are our new quarters. Adar granted me two to choose from. I know that you miss the openness of Rivendell so I choose this one for us. I knew you would love the balcony," he said still holding Aria close to him.

She turned her head and kissed him deeply on the lips. Perhaps her husband did understand her after all. Even if her new home wasn't like Rivendell, at least her husband was trying his best to make her as comfortable as he could. She couldn't ask for anything more.

* * *

The move from their old quarters to their new quarters was quick and easy. It amazed Aria at how much weight an elf could carry. In a matter of days the move had been completed and Aria had even managed to find some sitting chairs, a table and a couch that were not being used to put in their quarters as well to make a sitting area for reading.

As she sat putting the books back up on the shelf one of the books fell to the floor. As she picked it up, a flat withered flower fell from inside the book and landed gently onto the floor. She bent over and picked up the tiny flower and looked at it with a puzzled look on her face. This was no flower from Mirkwood.

This was a flower from Rivendell.

Why did Legolas have a flower from Rivendell inside of a book?

"You don't remember do you?"

Aria turned her head towards her husband's voice as he stood in the doorway polishing one of his bows. She still held the flower in her hand. "Remember what?"

He smiled at her as he set his bow to the side and walked toward her. He gently took the flower from her hand. "I met you once before you came to Mirkwood with your father and brothers. I met you in Rivendell when you were very young - probably too young to remember. It was shortly after the Battle of the Five Armies. Your Ada had been gone for so long and when he, Adar and myself rode into the Rivendell with the other elves there was this little girl who came running to greet her Ada with an arm full of flowers. I remember watching all the elves parted for her as Lord Elrod picked her up and hugged her tightly as soon as he had dismounted his horse. I was amazed at how well behaved she was because then the girl acknowledged Adar and I, then presented us with flowers before running off to rejoin whomever had been watching her. And for some reason I felt bound to keep the flower I had been presented with."

Aria held open the book that the flower had fallen out of as Legolas gently lay it back inside. "Did you think at that time you would end up marrying me?" she asked as she placed the book on the bookshelf.

"I didn't see myself marrying anyone at that time," he said. "But now I see myself with no one else but you."

She sighed as she looked down at the floor.

"I know that something has been troubling you meleth nin and you have been blocking it from me. Is it a vision?"

"No."

"Then what ails you?"

"None of the elves like me. I mean your family does, but no one else. They all treat me as an outsider who is beneath them. No one will talk to me unless either your or one of the family members is with me. That is why I have been reading so much. Yes I was depressed about being confined so much, but these new quarters do help. But I also miss the companionship of my friends. I have yet to make any here outside of Talia. And with you having to go back out on patrol soon and be gone for days, I do not know how I will survive."

Legolas pulled his wife down onto his lap. "I know that when Mara and the other girls were here that you did have others to relate to and now they are gone. Honestly I never thought that the others would be this cold towards you."

"Perhaps its because they wanted their prince to marry his own kind."

"If that is the case, then they will just have to be disappointed. For I am not their Crown Prince. I am second in line to the throne – third once Laurian and Talia have an elfling. You are my choice. I received Adar's blessing. That is all that matter's to me."

Aria smiled as she leaned against her husband's shoulder and interlocked her fingers with his. "I love you," she whispered.

"As do I," he said kissing her forehead. "Now when it comes to the patrol situation. I will be gone for no more than a day. I used to be gone for weeks at a time, but Adar would rather I not be gone from you for long periods of time in case you relapse into nightmares."

"Really?"

He nodded. "But I do have someone who wants to meet you."

"Who?" Aria asked standing up.

"A friend of mine, who will hopefully become a friend of yours." Legolas said grabbing his bow and sheath of arrows, as well as the bow he had just finished for Aria. "Come on. This is going to involve some archery."

"Let me change clothes then. No point in ruining a dress."

Legolas waited patiently as Aria slipped into the bathroom changed into a pair of leggings and a tunic – both of which were too big on her thanks to the weight she still had yet to put back on from her kidnapping. She had also pulled her hair back into a braid. These were her traveling clothes for when they would travel from Mirkwood to Rivendell.

"I find this look on you appealing," he said pulling her close, still with the bows and sheath of arrows in hand.

"You find everything appealing on me," she said kissing him quickly before spinning out of his arms.

"And is that such a bad thing."

"No my prince it is not," she said with a sly smile. "But you said someone is waiting to meet me. And we shouldn't keep them waiting."

* * *

Legolas led Aria to a clearing where they often would come to practice her archery skills. Her brothers had told Legolas that they had taught Aria how to shoot when she was younger and that made Legolas determined to make sure his wife was proficient when it came to archery skills. He had spent the better part of a month carving her a bow and had just finished it a few days ago. They had tried it out a few days ago and he had to admit that Aria wasn't that bad of a shooter, but she was going to need some more practice.

He watched as she lined up her shot and released the arrow, which went a little to the side. He adjusted her stance a bit before she tried to shoot again. This time she hit the target dead on. "Now keep practicing a few more centuries and I'm sure then you will be prefect!" he jokingly said.

Aria glared at him as she notched another arrow and hit the target again in the same spot, destroying her other arrow in the process.

"Good aim, princess," came a new voice into the clearing. Legolas and Aria turned to look behind as an elf maiden with long red hair approached them. She wore the garb of Woodland Guard.

"Ah Tauriel," Legolas said. "I thought you were going to be waiting for us."

"I was. I just wanted to see how well the new princess shot first. I heard that her elf brothers trained her."

"They did. And please, my name is Aria. No need for formalities. The King is not around."

Tauriel nodded.

"This is Tauriel," Legolas said. "She is the head of the Woodland Guard. She is one of Mirkwood's best – if not the best – warriors."

"Pleasure to meet you," Aria said.

"The pleasure is all mine," Tauriel said. "In fact, I've been asking Legolas for weeks to let me meet you but he's been keeping you secluded."

"I've had my reasons," Legolas said defending himself. Aria blushed slightly.

"But that is in the past," Tauriel said. "Now here is what I am proposing to you. I heard what had happened to you and I never want that to happened again. How about you let me teach you to defend yourself?"

Aria looked from her husband to the female warrior elf then back to her husband. She was a bit shocked. In fact she didn't know what to say. Her brothers had begun her training but she had never allowed them to finish it because her visions of the future had gotten to vivid and horrific for her. She actually had tried to hide from them by doing everything in her power not to let them come to pass. But that just wasn't going to happen. So what better way to face the future head on then being prepared for it and fighting for what she loved.

"Sure," Aria said with a smile.

* * *

**AN: Ok so Tauriel is going to actually be in the next two Hobbit movies. She is the head of the Mirkwood Guard. And I made sure that she has no romantic links to Legolas. Whew! But she does play a role in the story. Also I have this story planned out for 30 chapters so far - and that is only up to the end of the LOTR trilogy...then I have all the stuff afterwards, so get ready for a long story! So please leave me some loving in the form of reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:**** Aria is mine….AN at bottom**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Can I ask you something?"

Tauriel looked over at Aria waiting for the question. Over the last several weeks, Aria had seemed to come out of a shell when it came to talking with the head of the Woodland Guard. At first the relationship between the two females was strictly professional – only self-defense training. But slowly, Aria has seemed to open up a bit more to her.

And that was what one thing that Legolas had secretly confided in Tauriel that he'd hoped would happen. He knew that his wife was lonely. He had grown up with Tauriel. And if there were anyone who could become as true as a friend to his wife (and actually mean every word that she said) then it would be Tauriel.

Besides Tauriel really did want to teach Aria to defend herself. And if they did become friends because of it, then it was a trade off. Legolas was one of her best friends.

"Sure, what is it?" Tauriel asked as they took a break from sparring practice for a few minutes.

"If you and Legolas were so close growing up, why didn't the King ever pressure him to marry you? You're pretty and you're an elf."

"Self-doubt will get you no where."

Aria shrugged her shoulders and sighed as she drew symbols in the dirt with the tip of her sword blade. The elf watched her for a second, assessing her feelings before proceeding. "Something is still bothering you isn't it?" she gently probed.

"In Rivendell, I wasn't treated like I am here. It's been almost 6 months and I still hear the snide remarks behind my back. Do they honestly think that I can't speak elvish? I was raised by elves!"

"What do they say?"

"Oh things like I've bewitched the entire Royal Family, that I've just as evil as Sauron, that I am a reject that my mother left on Lord Elrond's doorstep, that Legolas only married me because of what happened to me – you know stuff like that."

"And you haven't told anyone?"

"Nope. You're the first elf that I've mentioned any of this to."

"You haven't even told Legolas?"

Aria shook her head no. "I've kinda told him. Just nothing about the remarks."

A sound of running footsteps nearby stopped their conversation short as one of the members of the guard came skidding around the bushes into the clearing where Aria and Tauriel had been practicing fencing skills.

"Princess come quickly, they need you in the Halls of Healing," the guard said.

Immediately Aria's first thought was about Legolas, who was currently out on patrol and should be returning that night. "Why?" she questioned.

"The healers can not determine what ails this elfling. They sent me to find you. Perhaps your Ada's training could help them."

Aria nodded as she stood up and followed the guard back into the Halls of Healing with Tauriel bringing up the rear.

* * *

The healers stood around the bed of the feverish elfling, puzzled about what to do. None of them had ever seen anything like this before. They had gone over all the typical causes of a fever – something was ingested, a spider bite, rare sickness – but nothing fit.

"Ok I need everyone to take a step back," Aria said entering the room. She had been briefed as soon as she had entered the Halls of Healing as she was lead to the room. She already had a pretty good idea of what was going on. She just needed to talk to the elfling. The other healers immediately did what she asked, giving her the room she needed. Tauriel stood off to the side watching as she stood with the elfling's parents. Before they had entered the room, Aria had told her that the mother of the sick elfling was one of the ones who commented frequently about her behind her back. If this elf had been saying things behind Aria's back, then Tauriel wanted to catch her in the act. And if Aria wouldn't do anything about, then she most definitely would.

Aria sat down on the side of the bed where the elfling lay and picked up a cool cloth that lay in a basin beside her beside. She rung it out then ran it along the forehead of the little elf girl. The little elf girl opened her eyes and looked up at Aria.

"What's your name?" Aria asked.

"Tarkin," she faintly answered.

"That's a pretty name little one," Aria said. "Now when you close your eyes, do you see the same thing over and over again?"

The elfling nodded.

"And all you want to do is make them go away?"

Tears began to slowly stream down the elfling's cheeks as she reached for Aria to hug her and cry against her. Aria happily accepted the hug and let the young elfling cry against her chest. The elfling's mother tried to move towards her daughter, but Tauriel held her back with a menacing look.

"How'd you know?" Tarkin asked.

"I have visions too," Aria said, using the cool cloth to clean the dried tears from her face.

"Do they scare you?"

"Sometimes. But I've learned to control them and use them to help me."

"Will you teach me?"

"We'll see. But I'm going to have the healers give you a draught for dreamless sleep to help bring down your fever while I talk to your parents. Ok?"

Tarkin nodded as she lay back down in the bed.

Aria stood back up and quietly left the room with Tauriel and Tarkin's parents behind them. Once they were in the hall, the other healers went back in the room to administer the draught.

"Oh thank you, princess for figuring out what is wrong with our daughter!" her mother began. "We've been so worried. Are you going to teach her to control them?"

Before Aria could answer her, a new voice entered the conversation. "Absolutely not!"

Aria whipped her head around and saw Legolas striding up the corridor towards them, still wearing his armor from patrol. Through their bond, she could feel fury rolling off of him. What had him so upset?

"What do you mean my prince?" the mother asked obviously a bit confused.

"Your comments about the princess do not fall on deaf ears. All of Mirkwood does not feel the same way you do about her. So unless you want your daughter to continue to suffer, I suggest you quickly decide where your loyalties lie because King Thranduil is waiting for you in the Grand Hall. He will decides what happens to you." Legolas said moving to stand in between his wife and Tarkin's mother.

"But my daughter!"

"I'll work with her," Aria said. "Legolas, she's the first seer that Mirkwood has had in many centuries. Let your father decide her mother's punishment. But don't let the child suffer."

Legolas looked down at his wife, whose eyes told him the entire story. He sighed. He knew that she was right. "So be it. I will speak to my father," he said as he turned to Tauriel. "Please make sure that they both get to the Great Hall immediately."

Tauriel nodded as she led Tarkin's parents away.

As Tarkin's parents were lead away, Aria felt some of the anger that Legolas was emitting slowly dissipate. "Where did this anger come from?" she asked, as they began to walk back towards their quarters.

"Towards the end of patrol, I suddenly was hit by this wave of grief. I knew that you've been holding something back from me for months. I've been hoping that you would open up to Tauriel like you have, which I'm glad that you two have become friends. Yet when this immense grief hit me, I reached into our bond and I know that we promise to never dig too deep into memories, but it was just too much. I had to know what had been troubling you for so long. And when I saw it and knew what you had been called behind your back, I was furious. That is why I returned a few hours early."

"I'm sorry for hiding it from you. I thought that I would get over it and that everyone would get used to me. But I guess I was wrong."

"Like I've said before, never be afraid to tell me anything, meleth nin," he said sweeping her into his arms and carrying her the rest of the way to their quarters.

Aria smiled as she kissed the lips of her elf in shining armor before laying her head against his shoulder.

Hopefully everything would only get better from here on out.

* * *

**AN – I know that this chapter seems like filler - but it will eventually make sense. I promise. There is a method to my madness, trust me. Anyways, back to Rivendell next chapter! YAYAYAY!**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 14:**_

Legolas stood back in the doorway and watched as Aria worked with Tarkin in their quarters during one of her sessions. This was part of the agreement that had been worked out with his father. Aria would help Tarkin learn to control her visions, but on her terms – all sessions would be conducted in their quarters with no interruptions. Thranduil agreed to that seeing as the elfling was the first seer born in to Mirkwood for centuries. As for her mother's punishment for belittling Aria, which was considered treason in the King's eyes (and he made that perfectly clear), she was given extra work detail and her husband was sent on extra patrol duties in Mirkwood Forest with the Woodland Guard. This was relativity mild to what could have happened, but it was all for this little girl.

One thing that he had noticed in the weeks since was a change in Aria. This was the Aria of old emerging after being locked away for so long.

This was the Aria he had fallen in love with.

There was no doubt that he had loved his wife, but he did notice a change in her ever since their wedding. He had actually though that it was because of the kidnapping. But that wasn't it. Then he thought that moving to new quarters would help her because she hated to be confined and that did for a while. Then she had put up mental barriers against him. That was when he had enlisted Tauriel's help even more than she was already doing in training Aria in self-defense. In the end, that was what had broken through. Simply having someone else besides him or the other family members to talk to. Since then Aria had seemed so much happier – it was almost like nothing bad that had happened in the last year to her had taken place.

Life, to him, was just about perfect.

"Don't all elves see the future to some extent?" Tarkin asked as she worked on a drawing that Aria was having her complete as part of their lesson.

"Yes but then there are some who can see deep into the future like my Ada and Lady Galadriel."

"Will I be like them someday?"

"Maybe with lots of practice."

"Can I ask you one more question?"

"One more then you have to finish your drawing. Our time is almost up for today."

"How can you have an elf father when you don't have pointy ears?"

Before Aria could answer, Legolas had to interject and answer for her. "Because she is special," he said, joining them in the little sitting area. Tarkin, who wasn't expecting the Prince to show up, blushed as Legolas sat down across from them in a chair. Aria motioned for him to be quiet while she finished up with Tarkin. "Now Tarkin, what are you supposed to do if you have a vision that just won't go away while I'm gone?"

"Draw it out."

"And if it's really bad?"

"Have someone write you a message and send it to you."

"Good. Then I'll respond and tell the healers what to do. But I'm sure that you will be fine while I'm gone."

"You are going to come back aren't you? Because some elves leave and never come back. Daddy says that those elves have sailed home and you said that you are going to your other home."

"I promise I am going to come back."

The little girl stood up and hugged Aria before quickly leaving. Once she was gone, Legolas moved from the chair over to the couch and sat next to his wife, who curled up next to him. He wrapped an arm around her while his other arm reached out and picked up the drawing that Tarkin had left on the table. He looked at it for a few seconds. It looked to be a shadowy figure of some sort. "What is it?" he finally asked.

"I'm still not sure. She's drawn it several times."

"Did your Ada make your draw out your visions when you were younger?"

"Sometimes, especially the scary ones."

"What do you do now?"

"I'd either draw them out, keep them to myself or tell someone – like you or Ada."

"You haven't had any recently have you?"

"Visions?"

"Yeah."

"Not really. I've been too preoccupied with other things. First it was recovering, then it was adjusting to married life and living in a new place and now it's being a teacher. I think once life settles down a bit; things will come back into focus. Yet, I do keep having that one vision about loosing everything that I hold dear…"

"And I will fight my way back to you. I vowed that years ago," he said pressing a kiss into her hair.

She sighed happily and relaxed into her husband's embrace for a short while. Legolas simply held her and allowed her the opportunity to do so.

Yes, life was just about perfect.

* * *

"Talia and I have something that we would like to share with the three of you first," Laurian said during dinner that night.

Everyone's attention turned to the Crown Prince and his wife. "What is it ion nin?" Thranduil asked.

While Legolas and the King sat and waited for the response, Aria simply smiled. She knew exactly what they were going to say. She could hear it in their voices – they were both so happy. Talia was pregnant. She had to be.

"Adar you are going to have a grandchild!" Laurian said.

And for one of the few times since Aria had known him, King Thranduil smiled. Congratulations were shared as well as hugs. The rest of the dinner talk was spent discussing things about the upcoming Royal Birth.

* * *

"You know we never talked about having a family of our own one day," Aria said as she emerged from the washroom wearing a silk nightgown. Legolas was already in their bed, clad in his sleep pants, waiting for her to join him.

"Why rush things. We have a while to figure things out."

"No we don't. Sure my aging will slow down, but will it stop completely like yours has? Who knows? Even Ada isn't sure about that. But I don't want to be 150 and have children. I do want to enjoy them for a while before I get too old and have to absolutely sail to the Undying Lands," she said crawling into bed next to her husband.

"Can't I be selfish and keep you to myself for a while longer?"

"Of course," she said curling up against his chest. "I just wanted to talk about it that's all. It's not like I wanted to go and make babies right now. Besides don't both parties have to want a child in elf society for things to happen?"

"Typically. I'm not really sure how it would work with us. Perhaps the same way."

"Hopefully."

"So since we're not trying right now, that doesn't mean we can't get a little practicing in can't we?" Legolas asked as he moved in the bed so that Aria was lying on her back and her was leering over her.

"I don't see why not," she said pulling him down for a long, deep kiss. "But we do have a long trip a head of us tomorrow. So we will need some strength."

"Trust me," he said kissing her again as his hands began to trail up her slender body and remove her nightgown. "You will have more than enough strength to get you to Rivendell in a few days time."

* * *

Aria's smile grew wider and wider the closer they got to the hidden valley. She, Legolas and Tauriel had departed Mirkwood over a week ago for this journey. And they were so close. The journey was originally supposed to be just her and Legolas, but at the last minute Thranduil had insisted that Tauriel and at least 4 other Woodland Guards accompany them. Aria threw a fit to Legolas, who in return had to persuade his father that just allowing Tauriel to accompany them was fine enough. Thankfully it had worked.

When it came to resting, Legolas had to plead with his wife to stop and sleep for just a few hours. He knew how bad she wanted to get back to Rivendell, but he was not going to have her return to her home exhausted.

During all of this, Tauriel was wondering why Aria was so dead set on getting back to Rivendell since she had never been there before.

"You'll see," was the response that she got each time from Aria.

As they rode over the last hill on their way into Rivendell towards sunset on the 10th day, Aria turned to look at Tauriel. "Welcome to Imladris, or in common tongue – Rivendell," she said.

Tauriel sat gaping at the scene in front of her. There sat several buildings built at the edge of a narrow gorge along the river Bruinen. It was beautiful. "Now I see why you wanted to return home," she said to Aria.

Aria simply smiled and led the way on.

They rode over a bridge and into the city. The trio dismounted their horses as they were greeted by Glorfindel. "Lord Elrond is currently in his study. We weren't expecting you until tomorrow," he said.

"I was ready to be home," aria said as she turn and headed up the stairs leaving everyone behind. Legolas and Tauriel helped Glorfindel take their horses to the stable.

* * *

Aria gently knocked on the study door that she knew so well, that was always a crack open, before sticking her head inside. "Ada?"

"Iell nin!" Elrond said greeting his daughter at the door. "What are you doing here so early?"

"It was only a day," she said. "Besides I missed you and everyone else."

Elrond pulled Aria into hug and held her close for just a moment. Through their hug, he could tell that there was something on her mind. "Something is bothering you, isn't it?"

"Mirkwood is so different than here. I've been homesick the entire time," she said as her eyes began to tear up.

"No tears, iell nin," Elrond said. "Legolas and I both knew that living away from here full time would be hard. That is why we made the deal with his father."

"I know," she said forcing a smile. "And Legolas has tried to make it better and easier for me, but I still missed home."

"As you probably will for several more years. But no tears now. You are here with your family, friends as well as your husband. Now is a time for celebration."

Aria smiled as she and Elrond headed to find Legolas and Tauriel. It felt like everything had been lifted off of her shoulders and thrown to the side.

It was good to be home.

* * *

_**AN#: I decided to split the Rivendell chapter into two parts. Look for it soon! But I would really loveeeeeee some reviews!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:**** Aria is mine…everything else is Tolkien's**

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

Aria leaned back against Legolas and sighed as she closed her eyes. "Tired, meleth nin?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her. He gently nuzzled her neck and placed a lingering kiss against her neck.

Shortly after dinner, Aria and Legolas had decided to go for a walk to one of their favorite escapes in Rivendell – the banks of the River Bruinen. It was far enough away from everyone where they could be alone, yet still close enough that it wasn't a far walk back.

"I think the long journey home is finally catching up with me. I'm just glad to be here."

"I know you are. But is Mirkwood really that bad?"

"No because you are there," she said turning and looking up at him in the moonlight. She smiled at him before he leaned down and kissed her lips. "Home is wherever you are, Legolas. Haven't you figured that out yet?"

"It's just that the last six months had been so hard on you. There were times that I've felt that you would simply tell me that you've had enough and that you were leaving me."

"I'm sorry, Legolas. I really am," she said looking away from him. Tears were beginning to build up in her eyes and she didn't want to cry, but she knew that she was going to anyways. She felt absolutely horrible about keeping all her feelings bottled up inside for the last few months. "I guess I'm just not used to having someone be attuned to my emotions and I to theirs. It has been a bit overwhelming at times," she said sniffling, trying to fight her tears.

Legolas gently turned her face back towards him, knowing full well that she was about to start crying. "No tears," he gently said placing a hand against her cheek. "This is something that can easily be fixed. I'm sure every new couple has rough patches. I know that Laurian and Talia did. Besides I feel that same way you do about home – where you are, is where my home is."

Aria sniffled again and then smiled as no tears fell. "You are my home," she whispered leaning up towards her husband. "And you always will be."

"As are you," he answered capturing her in a kiss.

* * *

"Are you sure that you do not need me to accompany you?" Tauriel asked as Legolas and Aria prepared their horses for the journey to the village of Bree.

"No, we'll be alright. Besides this gives you time to relax, which is something you never do." Legolas said before turning his attention to Aria who was talking to her horse. The horse was a sleek black mare with a white star on her forehead and along her chest. He watched as Aria patted the horse down before the horse nuzzled Aria's shoulder.

"That's my girl. I've missed you too, Argo," she said before mounting the horse.

"Ready?" Legolas asked once he had mounted his horse.

"Of course," she said making sure that she could reach her box if she needed to during the long ride to Bree. "Oh Tauriel if the twins return while we're are away, please tell Ada to not let them leave."

"I will do that."

She stood by and watched as Aria and Legolas rode out of Rivendell on their way to the village of Bree where Aria's mother had moved. There was no telling how long they would be gone for. So what was she supposed to do while they were gone?

* * *

When Gilraen answered the door to the soft knocking, she was not expecting who was waiting for her on the other side. She thought perhaps it would be someone from the village needing something seamed or stitched. But this was so much better.

"Mother," Aria said with a smile pushing back the hood of her travel cloak.

"Aria!" Gilraen exclaimed pulling her daughter into a tight embrace. "This is a surprise."

"Well when Legolas and I returned to Mirkwood, Ada told me that you had left to live here. So we came to see you."

Gilraen looked behind her daughter and noticed the tall Mirkwood prince standing behind her daughter. She knew that the two had been married several months ago after Aria had been kidnapped and rescued. She had wished that she had been able to attend the wedding. At least Aragorn had been there for her.

"Well come in! Come in!" Gilraen said, letting them inside the cottage. Aria and Legolas followed her inside and took off their traveling cloaks as they settled down.

The trio talked for a while about Mirkwood and the difference between Rivendell and Mirkwood. Then Gilraen told her daughter about what Aragorn and the Rangers had been up to. Thankfully, there hadn't been too many injuries. Elladan and Elrohir had been more than able to take care of all the injuries on their own.

"Do you know where Aragorn and the twins currently are?" Aria asked.

"They should be checking in a few days," Gilraen said. "Then they stay for a day or so before heading back out. This is what they do every few months."

Aria turned to look at her husband. "Mind if we hand around for a few days?"

Legolas shook his head no. "Is there a local inn here?" he asked.

"That is absurd!" Gilraen said. "I have more than enough room here. You two will stay here with me. Then when your brothers get her, then can find somewhere else to sleep, like the floor."

* * *

Over the next few days, Aria and Legolas both helped Gilraen with whatever she needed done around the house – from mending a fence post of two in the stable to helping her move things around the house. Neither of them minded, it kept them busy. Other than that it was a change of pace from their normal lives, which both of them liked.

Mid afternoon of the second day, Aragorn and the twins arrived and were greeted with the surprise of Aria preparing dinner instead of Gilraen. She was immediately tackled in a bone crushing hug by all three of her brothers, which Legolas found the sight amusing.

After dinner that night, Aragorn pulled Legolas off to the side – out of earshot of Aria and their mother. "Something troubles you, mellon nin," Legolas said.

"Has there been an increase in orc attacks in Mirkwood?"

"There has, especially recently. Adar has increased patrols. That was why he wanted to send 5 Woodland Guards with us on the journey, but Aria threw a fit. So just one accompanied us."

"The rangers have seen an increase as well. The twins and I chased a pack of ten of them away today. It seems as if it's every other day almost."

"What is it from?"

"Still not sure. But don't let Aria know. Her vision of loosing everything dear still haunts her does it not?"

"It does."

"I think this has something to do with it."

Legolas looked over at his wife who was smiling and laughing with her twin brothers and sighed. He hoped that Aragorn was wrong. For everyone's sake.

* * *

**AN:**** Next chapter is a big time jump! Be ready for it! Reviews please! I need some loving….**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine…Everything else is Tolkien's….this chapter is set 10 years after the previous one.**_

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

Legolas wrapped a cloak around Aria's shoulders as they sat on one of the many balconies in Rivendell, late into an early spring night. "No need to get any sicker," he said. "Your Ada would not take too kindly to that."

She shook her head no as she leaned into his embrace and sighed as they sat under the stars for a while longer, enjoying the fresh air. Aria had been bedridden for the last few days with a stomach ailment. Finally she had gotten enough strength back to venture outside with her husband's assistance.

After just a few minutes of sitting in the fresh air, Legolas heard Aria's gentle breathing signaling that she had fallen asleep. Good. She needed rest. She had not gotten much the last few days. Carefully standing back up, he picked up his sleeping beauty and carried her back to their quarters where he tucked her back into bed before crawling in next to her. Out of instinct, Aria moved close to him in bed and Legolas happily obliged his sleeping wife by wrapping his arms around her.

He lay there for a little while and let his mind drift back over the last 10 years. They had been peaceful, loving and overall wonderful. First had been his and Aria's wedding followed by the ups and downs of the first few months of marriage. Yet after that rocky start, things got better. Their communication with each other improved as well as their bond strengthened. They had learned to communicate nonverbally as well as feel the needs and feelings of the other in a deeper connection. This only strengthen their love for each other.

Outside of their relationship, their immediate family had grown thanks to his brother with the addition of his new son, Fligan about 10 years ago. And now, Talia was once again pregnant and would soon give birth to another elfling. Sadly, they would miss this birth, unlike the last time since they would be in Rivendell during the summer when the elfling was due. With Laurian and Talia having their second elfling in such a short time span, the conversation of a family had once again been brought up with Aria just after Talia had announced she was pregnant. Previously Aria had said that she wanted to have children before she was too old to enjoy them, but this second pregnancy had gotten her thinking – 30 years old was a good age to start trying for a family with a centuries old elf.

That had been several months ago. There was no doubt in Legolas' mind that they were trying. There had been failures and Aria knew it, which resulted in heartbreak. But Legolas reminded her each time that everything was the will of the Valar and if they were to be blessed with a family of their own, then so be it. Yet one of the problems with their pairing was that neither of them knew the exact signs that Aria could be pregnant.

Would she show the signs that pregnant female elves did?

Would she show the signs that pregnant female humans did?

Or would it be a combination of the two give that she did have elven blood in her veins.

So they kept had kept on trying.

Aria mumbled something in her sleep and snuggled closer to her husband. Legolas couldn't help but smile as his thoughts about the last ten years drifted back to the present and to what was laying in his arms. He gently brushed a kiss against her forehead before settling down to sleep as well. As he readjusted his hold on his wife, he moved his hands against her flat stomach. While his hands were against her stomach, he felt a small but steady pulse emanating from her lower abdomen. Curiously he moved his hand away, and then moved it back.

The pulse was still there.

A smile formed on his face as he placed his hand protectively against Aria's abdomen, not wanting to get his hopes up too much for he was not a healer. But he did know the best one in Middle Earth.

* * *

"Lord Elrond?"

The Rivendell Lord turned from the chart he was studying towards Legolas, who had entered his study, bright and early the next morning. "Yes, Legolas?" he said. "Is Aria any better?"

"A little, but I need you to examine her."

"Examine her?" he asked, a bit confused. "She told me that it was a stomach ailment."

"I think that she might be pregnant."

"Pregnant?"

Legolas went on to explain what had taken place the night before when he was holding her and how they had been trying for a family.

"If she is pregnant then this could explain this sickness," Elrond said.

"It would?"

"It's a human sign of pregnancy. Some women just have it in the mornings. But some have it more often, like Aria is. Now let's go find out, shall we?"

* * *

Aria's eyes flew open as she stumbled out of bed, into the bathroom and lurched over the basin. Coughing and wheezing for a moment, she then took several gulps of water to clean out her mouth before slowly crawling back into bed and pulling the covers back around her.

She felt horrible.

Last night she had felt a little better after a small dinner of a soup that her Ada had specially made for her. But now she just wanted to crawl under the covers of her bed and die. Where was Legolas? He could go get her Ada and perhaps he could make her better.

She heard a soft knock at the door. "Go away," she mumbled from under the covers. She heard the door open and two sets of feet walk in.

"Sorry, meleth nin. But your Ada needs to examine you." Legolas said pulling back the covers.

Aria sighed as she pushed herself up in the bed and extended her feet out as her Ada sat on the edge of the bed. Legolas moved to the other side of the bed and sat down as well.

Elrond gently ran his hands along Aria's arms, neck and upper body then moved towards her abdomen and stopped. He looked up at Legolas then moved his hands over Aria's abdomen again.

"Iell nin, this might hurt for a moment, but I just need to feel for something." Elrond said.

She nodded as Elrond began to gently poke and prod at her lower abdomen. After a few seconds, a smile crossed his face. "It is not a stomach ailment that ails you," he said placing his hand against her cheek. "You are pregnant. I would say about a month a long. So probably either right before or right after you and Legolas arrived back in Rivendell."

Tears formed in her eyes as she looked from her Ada to her husband and back. "Really?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Elrond nodded as Legolas wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. He gently kissed the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest. Elrond quietly stood up from the bed and left the princely couple alone to savior the news.

"Aria?" Legolas gently asked after Elrond was gone and the door was shut.

"Yeah?" she replied lifting her tear stained face from his tunic.

"I love you and our child," he said.

"As do I," she replied pulling him close for a kiss.

* * *

**AN: Awwww….Now I was sad last chapter, I got no loving! Now please can I have some this chapter? Pretty, pretty please?**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **** Only Aria is mine everything else is Tolkien's – there is an alternative version of this chapter. Check out my other story called Reflections: The Alternative Chapters.**

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

"Make it go away," Aria moaned as she curled up in a ball on the bed.

Legolas pulled the sheet up around her and gently rubbed her back. "If I could meleth nin, I would. You know that."

It had been several weeks since Aria had found out that she was pregnant and she was still suffering from bouts of morning sickness. Some days were worse than others. Legolas just hoped that it ended soon. He hated to see Aria feeling so miserable and he could even feel it through their bond. She had tried to block it from time to time from him, but since she was so weak from morning sickness it was hard to always do. Those were the times that he would be mindful of what he said and did around her, since he knew of the misery that she was going through to a bring their child into the world. And he loved her so much more for doing it.

He did know that pregnancies were hard on women – and pregnancies between elves and humans were even harder. Anything that wasn't absolutely necessary, Aria hadn't been allowed to do it. Frankly it was not a very pleasant situation at times – and it had only been a few weeks. Aria was cranky one moment, happy the next then crying for no reason at all. Elrond assured Legolas that it was simply the surge in hormones in her body that were causing all these changes and that eventually once her body adjusted to carrying the baby that she should be a bit better. Legolas sure hoped so.

Until then, the only thing he could do was comfort his wife. "You need to rest now," he gently said, continuing to rub her back. "You didn't get much sleep last night. Dreams plagued your sleep. As they have the last several nights."

The mention of her recent dreams only made her curl tighter against herself. Legolas gently weaved his arms around her and moved his body around hers on the bed so that he formed a protective barrier around her. He could tell by the mental barriers that she was putting up that she was not wanting to talk about her dreams. But he was going to make her. "What are they about meleth nin?" he gently probed. "Please tell me."

"All I see is an attack of some kind. Not the one that has plagued my dreams for years but a new one. After that I fell an immense grief before being surrounded by vibrant colors. Then I wake up," she softly whispered without looking at him.

Legolas slowly turned his wife over to look at him as he brushed the hair out of her face. He knew that she dwelled too much on the future at times. He needed to bring her mind back to the present. "Where do you see yourself in the future?" he asked.

"With you, of course, and our children."

"As do I. But it does not do well to dwell on your visions. Nor does it do it any good for this little one," he said placing a hand gently against her stomach. "I fear that you are making yourself sick with worry. Do I need to go to your Ada and tell him about your sleepless nights?"

"No."

"Then please focus on the present and worry about what is going on now. I understand that having the gift of foresight can both be a gift and a burden, but sometimes you dwell on certain visions too long. I've heard your Ada tell you that the future is always changing."

"But I don't have them all the time…"

"I know, but you are right now," he argued. "I don't know if it has something to do with the pregnancy, but I'm worried that's all. For both you and the baby."

"I am too," she gently said yawning a bit.

"Why don't you rest a while since you didn't get a lot a sleep last night," he suggested.

"Will you lay with me?"

"Of course," he said kissing her lips softly before letting her move back into a sleeping position.

Aria moved around on the bed so that she was situated comfortably and snuggled into her pillow. Legolas pulled the covers and a blanket up around her before laying on top of the coverings and curling his body once again around hers. He gently placed a kiss against her cheek.

Normally he would lay with her under the covers during a nap and stay the entire time, but this time he wasn't going to stay with the entire time. He just wasn't going to tell her that. He knew that Aria was to the point of exhaustion and that she would be asleep in no time, so once she was fast asleep he quickly and quietly slipped out of bed and out of their quarters without waking her.

He mindlessly walked the corridors until he found himself standing outside staring out across the valley where the river flowed into the distance. He sighed as his thoughts turned back to Aria. How could he make her focus more on the present and not so much on the future?

"Something troubles you, young one."

Legolas turned to see Erestor walk up next to him. The tall, dark haired elf rarely spoke to anyone besides Lord Elrond, perhaps Glorfindel a time or two that Legolas had seen, but typical he had seen him keep to himself. "It's about Aria. I worry about her."

"And the child?"

"Of course that as well. She is just dwelling on her dreams too much and I feel that it's causing her too much stress."

"Elin has always had this problem. She's always kept too much to herself as a child. As her foresight abilities developed faster than her brother's, she kept things from everyone. I believe she didn't want to be seen as different since she already felt different growing up around elves. She even felt inferior to Estel growing up since he had the twins to look up to and she really didn't have a sisterly figure. Yes her mother was there, but when it came to something like foresight, Elin felt isolated. Glorfindel tried to help her as did I, but even then we both knew that Elin was always keeping things from us. Even Elrond knew this."

"But how did you help focus on the present?"

"Remind her that the future is always changing."

"I've done that."

"Then find a way to help her relax. You know her better than anyone else does," Erestor said, gently placing a hand on Legolas' shoulder and squeezing it softly before walking away. Legolas sighed as he turned around and headed back towards the quarters were Aria was hopefully still sleeping soundly.

He quietly slipped backing into the room and thankfully Aria was still sleeping. He lay back down on the bed and gently traced a finger along the side of her face as he thought about the words that Erestor told him.

'_Think of a way to help her relax…'_

He knew several ways to help his wife relax. And he knew that they could be intimate with each other even though she was pregnant. They had made sure of that in a conversation with Elrond right after they had found out that Aria was pregnant in what to expect during her pregnancy. They had yet to be intimate with each other due to Aria's bouts with morning sickness, but maybe it was about time to.

"Where are we going?" Aria asked as Legolas helped her up onto Argo.

"A surprise," he said as he led Argo down along the river towards a clearing where a blanket and a basket a food lay out. Legolas stopped Argo and helped his wife down from her horse.

"What's this all about?" she asked.

"We hadn't gotten out of Rivendell in the weeks since you've been sick and we found out that we were going to have our little one," Legolas said helping her towards the picnic that he had set up for them. He sat down first, and then helped her down as she leaned against him. "We needed a change of pace. I thought a night to ourselves would be a perfect way to do that."

"But it is still early afternoon."

"Who says that this is the only thing that I have planned, meleth nin," he replied leaning closer to her face before capturing her in a deep kiss. As he pulled away from her after their kiss, he pulled the basket that he had previously set up for them closer towards them. He pulled out several pieces of lembas bread and small jar of honey, which Aria had recently been craving and several apples. "Lunch," he said with a smile.

Then he pulled out a flask of cool water along with a tattered book. He handed her the book before starting to prepare their small lunch. She looked at the book and smiled. He had found her favorite book from Ada's library – a book of elvish tales about the first and second age. She had read this countless times as a child.

"I thought that we could spend a few hours out here and we could take turns reading to each other," Legolas said handing her a piece of lembas with honey spread across it. She smiled as she took the piece of lembas from her husband and ate it before all the honey dripped off of it. Afterwards she gave him a sticky kiss.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," she answered then licked the honey residue from his cheek.

Legolas lay on his side on the blanket as Aria sat against him at an angle with her legs stretched out. She propped the book up against her legs and began to read as Legolas wrapped an arm around her. As she read for a while, he would absent-mindedly play with a strand of her hair or place a kiss against her forehead or cheek every so often. He loved hearing her voice. It had such a calming effect on him. After a while he took up reading. Even Argo wanted in on the stories, and had come and laid down near to where they were laying on the grass under some trees once she had gotten done grazing on some grass.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, it was time to pack up their picnic and head back to Rivendell. They had almost finished the book too. "I enjoyed this," Aria said, stealing a kiss from her husband, before he helped her back onto Argo.

"The night is still not done."

* * *

"How?" she asked as they entered their quarters.

"Erestor, Glorfindel and Tauriel helped," Legolas said leading his wife into the room. She couldn't help but smile. All around the room, hundreds of tiny candles flickered, giving off a lowered light – a more romantic light.

"So is this the reason why you kept me out all afternoon?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Partly. Plus I did want some alone time with you."

"I love you," she said as she leaned up to kiss him.

"And I love you too," he said pulling her flush against him.

The rest of the night, Legolas spent relaxing Aria to the best of his ability in the various ways that he knew best. It was something that neither of them had done in a long time.

"Look at the mess we made of ourselves." Aria said once they had finished as she curled against him in bed. "I think we both need a nice long bath."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Legolas said getting up out of bed then picking his wife up and carrying her to the bathroom.

* * *

Aria lay curled up against Legolas' chest as he watched over her for a few minutes a few nights later. The last several nights had been much better then the last few weeks. Aria had begun to sleep through the night, even though the morning sickness was still there a few mornings – things were beginning to get back to normal.

Hopefully things would stay that way.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine….the rest is Tolkien's**_

* * *

_**Chapter 18**_

"You do know, iell nin, that you will carry this child for longer than a human does since an elf carries a child for 12 months." Elrond said as he examined his daughter during her third month of pregnancy.

Aria sighed as she leaned back against Legolas on the bed for comfort. He laced his fingers though hers and squeezed them softly, giving her a bit of his strength. He had recently begun to do this, especially since the morning sickness had dragged on even longer – especially after she had begun to relax even more. Elrond had suggested it as a way for Legolas to help Aria recover a bit faster. He never gave her too much of his strength, just a little. She smiled up at him, knowing what her husband was doing for her.

"So how long do you think I will be pregnant?" she asked turning his attention back towards her Ada.

"It's hard to say. Anywhere between 9 to 12 months, since the child is going to be a half-elf."

"But that's the middle of winter Ada! I do not want anyone but you to deliver this child! I do not trust anyone else!" she said getting worked up.

"Shh, calm down, Elin," Elrond said placing a hand against her cheek as he called her by her adopted elf name. "I will travel to Mirkwood shortly before your ninth month and stay with you and Legolas until the child is born."

Aria sniffled as tears weld up in her eyes as she slowly nodded in agreement. "What if I need you before?"

"I have sent Glorfindel out to find Elladan and Elrohir. The twins will return with you to Mirkwood and act in my place. And that also gives you more protection on the journey back as well."

"That is a good idea," Legolas added. "We won't be traveling as fast since you will be in your fifth to sixth month by then. Tauriel is already worrying about the journey home and our protection."

"Do not worry, Elin. You will be taken care of. And your child has grown much in the last two months already." Elrond said. "Everything is progressing just fine."

She sighed in relief as she ran her hands over the small bump in her abdomen that had recently formed and closed her eyes. Legolas placed a kiss against her cheek then slipped out from behind her and allowed her to lie down. "Rest now," he whispered. "You are going to need it."

She nodded with her eyes closed and snuggled with the pillow.

Legolas and Elrond quietly left the room to let Aria rest. Legolas sighed once the door was shut and wearily leaned against it.

"Aria is fine as is the baby," Elrond said stopping and turning around sensing Legolas weariness.

"It's not that. It's just that her visions are still bugging her. I know that they are. She has begun to talk about them in her sleep sometimes. All she talks about are colors that she sees."

"Colors?"

"Yes sir."

Elrond didn't say anything for a moment as he processed what Legolas had told him. Aria had never had a vision about colors nor had she ever talked in her sleep when she was a child. Until he could figure out what Aria was talking about in her vision, he couldn't let Legolas know that he was the least bit worried. "I'm sure that she is just trying to figure out her visions that's all. Just keep supporting her like you have been and everything will work itself out in time."

Legolas nodded as he stood by and watched the Elf Lord walk down the hallway towards his study and disappear inside. Deep down inside, he hoped that Lord Elrond was right about Aria and her dreams.

* * *

"She's having visions about Eru Ilúvatar?" Erestor asked in disbelief. "How can you be certain?"

"Legolas said that she talks in her sleep about colors. And you told me that a few weeks ago he told you about her vision about an attack of some kind followed by grief then replaced by a bright vivid light."

"Halls of Mandos, maybe I can believe. But Eru Ilúvatar? The Father of All never interferes with the dealings of elves or man." Erestor said, trying to prove a point to Lord Elrond, which was part of his job as chief counsel.

Elrond sighed as he stared out into the night. What else could these visions of Aria's be of?

* * *

"You know that I am not made of glass," Aria argued as she sat on a bench and watched Legolas and Tauriel practice their archery skills late one afternoon towards the end of her third month. She gently rested a hand on the larger bump that was beginning to show more beneath her dress. "I'm finally feeling better and you two won't let me do anything at all besides sit around and be lazy!"

"Five shots," Legolas said taking out her bow the group once he was done with his practicing. "That's all you get. I'm not going to risk anything with your or the baby. The journey back to Mirkwood in a few months has me on edge enough."

"Ten," she said standing up and walking towards him. "I haven't practiced in three months."

"Seven," he said. "Take it or leave it."

She glared at him before taking the arrows he was hold out and lining up each of her shots as she fired in rapid succession. Many of them hit the bulls eye – destroying, the previous arrow – while a few hit just around the outside.

"Leave it to a wood elf to teach her how to shoot a bow and arrow correctly," a familiar voice said from behind her.

"I agree brother. At least her aim is pretty deathly. I'm sure she could take down some orcs."

Aria turned around and immediately walked into the waiting arms of her twin elf brothers.

Tauriel was already shaking her head in disbelief at the twins as she walked away and allowed the twins to be reunited with their sister and Legolas. She hated to intrude on family ordeals.

"So Glorfindel wasn't lying! You are pregnant!" Elrohir said as he sized up the small bulge in Aria's stomach. She laughed as she hugged him again.

"Glorfindel never lies. You just choose not to listen to him." Aria said.

"That is actually true," Elladan added. "You try living with him for several centuries."

"Him and Erestor both," Elrohir chimed in. "No wonder they make such a good couple meant to drive us crazy. That's one reason why we ride with the Aragorn and the Rangers. To get away from them."

"Wait, wait, what?" Legolas asked confused. Did he just hear that Glorfindel and Erestor were a couple?

"I'll explain later," Aria said. "But where is Aragorn?"

"He wanted to come but he really needed to stay out with the others yet he sends his love," Elrohir answered.

Aria forced a smile, trying not to cry. She had really wished that Aragorn had come to see her. He was the one that she wanted to share this joyous news with most of all. At least he knew that she was pregnant.

"Come on," Elladan said, sensing that Aria was getting upset about the thought of Aragorn not being there for her at the moment. "We want to examine you for ourselves."

Aria tried to protest, looking at Legolas for help. But he simply shrugged his shoulders. "They are going to be your healers, meleth nin. They should know what they are getting themselves into."

She sighed as she gave in and allowed the twins to take her back to her and Legolas' quarters. Legolas smiled as he watched Aria being fussed over by her brothers. Through their bond, he could feel how happy and relieved she now was – even though she was a little saddened by Aragorn not being there. Having the twins around was going to be a good thing. Perhaps she would relax a bit more.

* * *

The next few months sped by. Legolas was amazed at how much Aria's body grew in size as their child grew within her – mainly just her abdomen, yet she complained that other parts of her were growing as well, while Legolas couldn't see it. But it seemed as if on a daily basis, Aria's baby bump grew and filled out.

Legolas also cherished their quiet moments at night when he and Aria could bond more with each other and he tried to help Aria connect with their child through their bond, like he had done on several occasions. They were successful a few times, but it was a tedious process that caused Aria to tired quickly. So they rarely tried to do this. "I'll let you bond with the baby," she had told him one night as she was falling asleep, after they had tried unsuccessfully to connect with their child through the bond. "I have my own ways of bonding," she said as she lay back against the pillows on the bed and gently began to hum to herself as she ran her hands along her expanding stomach.

Legolas just watched her with a smile on his face. For the first time, Aria looked content with herself.

This was how life was supposed to be.

Once Aria had fallen asleep, Legolas settled in to sleep as well. He wrapped his arms gently around his wife, trying not to wake her and placed his hands against her stomach. This way he felt that he was protecting the two most important things in his life.

As the time for their departure from Rivendell grew closer, the more nervous Aria became. Thus the more nervous Legolas became. He quickly found that the ways he had relaxed her in previous months were not as helpful now. She was even moodier now then she had been before. As the baby kept growing, she found that some things, such as sleep had begun to get harder.

"I swear that I am carrying twins!" Aria said almost in tears. "I'm huge!"

She was pacing back and forth in their quarters in the middle of the night. Sleep was evading her and lying in bed wasn't helping any. Even a simple touch from Legolas would set her off and made her angry.

"We would have known already. Your Ada would have been able to tell." Legolas said sitting on the side of the bed, patiently watching Aria. "But I still think that you look beautiful."

She turned and glared at him as she stopped to take a sip of water from a glass. As she went to set the glass back on the table, the glass missed the edge of the table and landed on the floor. It shattered as Aria just stood there in shock for a moment as her hand gently rested on her stomach. Legolas was immediately by her side. "Is it the baby?" he asked, still weary about touching Aria since she got mad at him last time that he did – for no reason at all. He had simply chalked it up to her hormones.

"I think so," Aria said as she moved her hand around on her stomach. Then a smile spread across her face as she took ahold of one of Legolas' hands and gently placed it against her stomach. Beneath his hand, Legolas felt something kick. A smile spread across his face as he leaned in and kissed his wife, who gladly accepted his kiss.

Their child was moving! Elrond had said that this would be happening soon. Neither of them knew exactly what to expect. But this was amazing.

"How about you get into bed and I clean up this mess," he suggested. She nodded in agreement and walked over to their bed and climbed in.

Once he had cleaned up the shattered glass, Legolas crawled back into bed with Aria, who had her hands placed on her stomach as she was continuing to feel the kicks of their baby. Legolas slipped a hand next to hers and smiled. She curled into his shoulder and sighed. "I'm sorry I've been so moody lately. I'm just nervous about traveling that's all."

"I am too, meleth nin. At least your brothers are going with us."

"I'm so worried that Erestor could sense it this morning when he was trying to get me to talk to him and Ada about our trip home." Aria said, sighing. "He later asked if he and Glorfindel should accompany us as well."

"Then who would ride with your father when he comes a few months later?"

"That's what I suggested. Ada said we will be all right and I know that we will. Besides I could fall asleep on Argo and she'd get me back to Mirkwood."

"She is a good horse." Legolas said. "Now a few months back you said you would explain about Erestor and Glorfindel. What's up with them?"

"They are a couple. Very few know and those who don't usually figure it out pretty easily after they spend a while with them. I've only ever known them as a couple. They are like my uncles - you could say. Erestor was my tutor when I was younger and I still turn to him for advice today and Glorfindel tried to teach me combat skills, but failed. So he works on foresight skills with me instead. He's impressed that Tauriel managed to teach me what she has when it comes to archery and even hand to hand combat."

"So no one cares that they are together?"

"Nope. Basically just Ada knows, the twins, Arwen, Aragorn, Lindir, myself and now you! Those are just the ones that I know for sure. Besides from what Erestor told me, it wasn't uncommon for two male elves to pair with each other in the first and second age. I'm sure that there are male elves who are together in Mirkwood – you just haven't noticed."

"Nope, I haven't because I only have eyes for you."

Aria smiled as she leaned up and kissed his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said wrapping his arms around her as she lay against his shoulder and they both continued to hold their hands to Aria's stomach as their baby kicked and moved under their touch.

* * *

Aria hugged her Ada tightly as he gently kissed the top of her head. "Just remember that everything looked fine yesterday. Take the journey home slow and easy. No need to rush. Your brothers will protect your from harm as will your husband." Elrond said looking at his daughter. She slowly nodded as tears weld up in her eyes and slowly fell down her cheeks

"Why the tears, iell nin?"

"I don't know," she sniffled again as she hugged her Ada. "I just feel like I will never see you again."

"All will be ok," he whispered. "I will see you in just a few months."

He hugged her one last time before she walked towards where Legolas was preparing the horses for their journey with Tauriel. The elf lord sighed as his twin sons walked up on each side of him.

"What troubles you Ada?" Elladan asked, sensing the worry from his Ada.

"Is it the baby?" Elrohir added.

"Pay close attention to your sister, especially when she is sleeping. If it seems like a vision is troubling her, make her talk about it. If one seems out of place, send word with the fastest messenger bird once you reach Mirkwood."

The twins agreed as they bid their Ada farewell and joined the others as they finished preparing for the journey to Mirkwood.

* * *

"I'm glad that it's you and not me that's pregnant," Tauriel said as the small group began their long journey from Rivendell back to Mirkwood. She rode on one side of Aria with Legolas on the other with the twins in the front and back. "I don't think I could put up with all the people fussing over me."

"If you thought that my Ada and Legolas were bad, you haven't seen anything yet." Aria answered. "Elladan and Elrohir are very protective. Just wait and see. Ada keeps them in check inside of Rivendell. But once we are away, it's a completely different story."

"I'll talk your word for it."

The group continued their journey for the majority of the first day and into the night. They decided to stop for the night, when Aria was about asleep on Argo. An agreement was made between the twins and Tauriel before the journey began, that Legolas was never to stay up for the nightly watch. His main task on the journey home was to make sure that Aria was comfortable – may it be during riding or resting. So each time they stopped for a nightly rest, one of the twins or Tauriel would stay up and keep watch while the others rested. Yet on the first night, only the Mirkwood prince and his pregnant princess got any rest.

"Do you not think that it is a bit odd that Legolas sleeps with his eyes all the way closed?" Elrohir asked as the trio watched Legolas and Aria sleep. Legolas was sitting up against a tree, while Aria was curled up in his arms. Both of them were fast asleep.

"I never thought anything of it in all the years I've traveled with them." Tauriel said. "I figured he did it to make her feel more comfortable. Like if she woke up in the middle of the night, she wouldn't find him staring at her."

"That's actually a good point." Elladan said.

"I still think its odd."

* * *

The rest of the longer than normal journey was much like the first day. They group would ride as long as Aria could stay awake or stand to ride on Argo. The trip that normally took about two weeks ended up taking almost a month. Thankfully, the entire journey home was uneventful. Aria never seemed to have any visions or dreams that she needed to talk about nor did she have any health scares with the baby. That calmed everyone's nerves a lot.

"You my dear look amazing." Thranduil said as he welcomed the group home. Fligan was with him as well. He gently hugged Aria and kissed her cheek. Legolas had sent word to his father when they were in Rivendell that Aria was pregnant.

"Thank you," she said.

Thranduil went on to greet his son and welcome the twins back to Mirkwood.

"Where is Laurian?" Legolas asked as the made their way towards the Great Hall. Tauriel had bid them all farewell and had headed off to the stables to take care of their horses.

"With Talia."

"Nana just had Imaya!" Fligan said, happily. "Are you going to have a baby too?"

Aria smiled at the young prince and nodded yes.

"That means more friends to play with!"

The group laughed.

* * *

_**AN: This is the longest chapter in the story so far. I just kept on writing since it took a few days to post it. Real life got in the way. But with the weekend coming up I should be back to writing everyday. Yet, don't expect posts everyday for a while. I promise to post at least three two times a week. It's just that from now until the end of May, life is crazy! **_

_**Anyways, Nana = mommy in elvish. So I hope you enjoyed and things are gonna get crazzzzyyyy next chapter! So be ready for it! I would love some feedback though. It makes me smile. **_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer: Aria is mine….the rest are Tolkien's…**_

* * *

_**Chapter 19**_

"I just have to go for a few days. Laurian is leaving Talia as well." Legolas said, pleading with his upset wife.

Aria lay on their bed with her back turned away from him. She had one hand under her pillow and the other wrapped protectively around her ever expanding pregnant stomach. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Here she was in her 8th month and her husband had to ride out with the Woodland Guard for patrol duty! She sniffled and wiped her tears away.

"Aria please. I don't want to leave you when you are upset. I know that there is something else bugging you. What is it?" he asked, still pleading with her.

She slowly turned over and lay on her back. She sighed as she looked at him with her large grey eyes, still full of tears. "Please don't leave me. The baby and I are going to die if you do."

Taken back by what she had just said, Legolas gently placed a hand against the side of her face. "It was the vision again wasn't it?"

She nodded as more tears fell. "Mirkwood is attacked by orcs who overwhelm the defenses. I'm just one of the causalities…"

A lump formed in his throat. He knew that the vision had become vividly clear if she was asking him to forgo patrol duty. His adar would have to approve this first – which Legolas wasn't sure what his adar would say. "I will talk to adar and see what he says. But I can't promise anything…"

* * *

"Orcs have never penetrated the defenses of Mirkwood, nor will they ever. They are not smart enough to do so." Thranduil said the next morning after Legolas told him of Aria's vision.

"Aria has rarely been wrong, adar. She's been having this same vision for almost 5 months now. Please do not make me go and allow me to stay with my wife and unborn child."

"What example would that be for the others? That I allow my own son leeway when his wife is with child? What about the countless others who would ask the same when it was their wife?"

"Just hope for everyone's sake that nothing happens to either of them while I am gone." Legolas said in a threatening tone. A tone that he had never used with anyone – especially his own father.

"Or what?"

"Mirkwood Realm will loose a prince."

* * *

Before returning to their quarters to tell Aria that he had to ride out on patrol, Legolas sought out the twins. They weren't hard to find. They both were lurking around in the common area of the guest quarters, bored out of their minds. They were waiting for Aria to come and find them so they could do a check up on her.

When Elladan saw Legolas hurrying towards them, he sat up straight in the chair he was sitting in. "what's wrong? Is it Aria?"

"Sorta."

"Well tell us!" Elrohir said.

Legolas quickly explained his dilemma to the twins.

"Don't worry. We'll watch her and make sure nothing gets to her without first getting through us." Elladan said. Elrohir agreed.

That relieved Legolas a little. He knew the twins would live up to their promise of protecting Aria with their lives if need be. Now he just had to face his wife.

* * *

Legolas held Aria in his arms as she cried. He knew that his father wasn't being fair. He had let Laurian stay back from patrol several times during both of Talia's pregnancies. He figured that it had to be because for half the year, Legolas wasn't in Mirkwood. He was in Rivendell.

"I will not patrol far away, meleth nin," he said. "If anything were to happen, I would feel it within our bond. Then nothing could keep me from getting back to you."

She sniffled and kissed his lips deeply. He returned her kiss – which was full of passion and love. "I love you," she said breaking their kiss.

"I love you too," he answered. He then leaned down and gently lifted up her dress and kissed her exposed stomach. "And I love you as well little one."

Beneath where his hands now where, the baby began to move and kick in response. Both parents smiled and shared another deep kiss before having to be parted for a few days. "How long until you have to leave?" Aria asked.

"Now for a little while."

"Will you hold me until then?"

"Anything you wish."

She lay down on their bed and curled up against her husband's body as he wrapped his arms around her. He watched her as she fell into a restless sleep. As he watched over her, he prayed to the Valar that nothing would happen to her or his child while he was away. He wouldn't be able to live if something did.

* * *

They came without warning.

They came with force and rage.

The Mirkwood Guards had never seen a massive force of orcs in their lives. They quickly sound the alarm for attack before the impending forces had overcome them.

* * *

Legolas bolted straight up in bed. Had he just heard right? Was that the warning horn from the outer gates, signaling an attack?

Still in his arms, Aria began to wake up. "What is it?" she asked still half asleep.

"Nothing, meleth nin," he said kissing her lips. "I just need to get you to your brothers. That's all. I want to be there for the examination before I am to depart."

He hated lying to her but it was to keep her calm. She nodded as she slowly got out of bed and slipped on some shoes. Legolas quickly gathered his quiver, bow and double long knives before leading her out into hallway.

Slowly, Legolas lead her down the hallway. Stopping every so often and peering around corners – always with an around notched firmly in his bow.

"What aren't you telling me?" she finally asked.

"I think we're under attack. The warning horn was sounded."

They slowly kept on walking until they were almost out of the royal residences and into the main part of Mirkwood Hall.

Sure enough, Aria's vision had been correct. Orcs had managed to infiltrate the elvish stronghold. There were already both orcs and elf bodies scattered across the floors as the battle raged on. Slowly Legolas began to back Aria up – back towards their quarters. He'd rather fight in a closed area like his quarters then a large area like the commons, especially if he was defending Aria. That just wasn't going to happen.

An orc arrow went whizzing past his arm and he immediately released his notched arrow, impaling the orc in the middle of the forehead. Once the orc was down, he tried to push against Aria to have her move backwards again, but found she wasn't there. Instead he heard a soft whimper behind him.

Everything seemed to suddenly move in slow motion as he turned around – from seeing Aria hunched over on the ground, covered in crimson blood, to falling to his knees and cradling her in his arms to screaming for the twins to come and aid him since they were fighting nearby – nothing seemed to move very fast.

The orc arrow that had missed him, had instead hit Aria in the shoulder. "Aria!" he cried as he yelled again for the twins. He gently cradled Aria's body in his arms as more and more blood continued to pour from the wound.

"I feel so sleepy…"

Her eyelids began to droop as she began to loose consciousness.

"Aria!"

* * *

_**AN: MWHAHAHAHA…..sorry I'm evil aren't I? At least Legolas was there and not on patrol….**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine – everything else is Tolkien's**_

* * *

_**Chapter 20 **_

Legolas did not know how to think or even how to feel. His entire world had come crashing down around him in a matter of moments.

Aria was still alive. But it was still a tense situation. Once the twins had reached where Aria lay in Legolas' arms, they had carefully moved their sister from the area where the orc attack was taking place and immediately began the process of removing the arrow from her shoulder, which should had stopped the bleeding.

But it hadn't.

Instead the crimson blood had turned dark black as it continued to flow. The twins knew exactly what that meant.

Poison.

The tip of the arrow had been laced with some kind of poison and now it freely flowed in Aria's blood stream, threating not only her life but also that of the baby. Aria was not the only afflicted with this ordeal. The twins consulted with the other healers as to what the best course of treatment was for all the victims who had survived. Deep down inside, Legolas could careless about the other elves that suffered at the moment. Right now the only being that matter was his wife and unborn child. His father could worry about the others. Part of him knew that this was wrong, but he didn't care.

The twins had applied some sort of herb remedy to her wound, which had slowed the bleeding for now and bandaged it. Yet Aria still had not regained consciousness. Through their bond, Legolas could feel Aria struggling against something. But what, he could not tell. Against, the wishes of the twins, he would send her some of his strength. He knew that Aria needed more than he did. She was fighting against something not only for one – but for two lives.

"We've sent word to our ada," Elrohir said as he sat down in another chair next to Aria's bedside where Legolas sitting was keeping his vigil.

"Knowing him, he should be here in a week's time." Elladan said, standing behind them both. "But you need to rest too, Legolas. If will be of no use, if you keep giving her your strength if you have none. Even though we tell you not to."

Legolas wearily looked at the twins. "I know she is fighting something. I feel it in our bond. How else am I to aid her?"

Elladan squeezed his shoulder. "I wish I knew."

* * *

Thranduil stood in the doorway and silently watched. His son sat slumped over in a chair, one of his hands gently resting on Aria's uninjured shoulder. He sighed.

This should have never happened.

He shouldn't have been so stubborn.

He had never given much credence to elves with the gift of foresight. Yes, all elves did have it to a certain extent. Then there were those with enhanced abilities such as Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond. And he especially didn't give any thought to humans with the ability. But for as long as he had known Aria, she had never been wrong.

And now he may pay the ultimate price for it. He won't only loose a daughter in law and a grandchild, but he would also loose his son if Aria were to die. While his wife was waiting for him in the Undying Lands, he knew that Aria and Legolas would be separated and Legolas would follow his wife and unborn child to the Halls of Mandos if that were the only way to be reunited with them.

He silently asked the Valar not to allow that to happen.

* * *

A little over a week had past since the attack on Mirkwood. Those elves that had died had been mourned and memorials held. While those who had been poisoned had recovered. It was discovered that poison that had been used by the orcs was a Mirkwood spider poison. Everyone had recovered except Aria.

"Ada, she has been unresponsive since loosing consciousness," Elladan whispered in hushed tones.

Elrond, Glorfindel and Erestor had just arrived in Mirkwood. Immediately the twins ushered their father to Aria's bedside and made Glorfindel and Erestor keep Legolas out of the room. There were things that the Mirkwood Prince need not know at the moment. Not until Elrond could verify them.

"Legolas said that he could feel her fighting something through their bond. He kept giving her strength." Elrohir added. "Now he says that she is merely protecting something."

Elrond began to examine his daughter – starting with the injury to her shoulder and moving down to her pregnant stomach. The wound to her shoulder had long since stopped oozing blackish colored blood and was starting to heal. But what concerned him now was the unborn elfling. He gently felt her stomach and sighed.

"When was the last day the child moved?" he asked.

The twins looked at each other. "Four days ago." Elrohir answered.

Elrond sighed again before standing up and leaving his daughter's bedside in search of Legolas. He didn't have to go far to find him sitting with Erestor and Glorfindel just down the hallway. "Come Legolas," Elrond said. "We need to talk."

Elrond led him back to Aria's bedside, where he had the young prince sit in the chair next to her bedside as he sat down in the other chair. "You told the twins that through the bond it seems that Aria is protecting something?" he asked.

Legolas nodded.

"I think that the best course of action is to deliver the child early. It may be the only way to spare Aria's life. But even then I cannot guarantee her survival. She may be too weak from not allowing herself to heal."

"Her wound has healed."

"Her mind has not. That is why she has not yet awoken. All the others who were poisoned have long since recovered correct?"

Legolas nodded.

"How long will the delivery take?" Legolas asked, hesitant.

"Elladan will assist me. And it should not take very long since I have to cut the child from her."

"Do it."

* * *

Thranduil and Laurian joined the small group that was sitting in the hallway awaiting news that Elrond and Elladan had been successful.

Legolas concentrated on his bond with Aria. He felt for her warmth. As long as he could feel her warmth, he knew that she was still alive. And that was all that mattered to him.

He found her warmth and mentally nudged her. _'Come back to me, meleth nin.'_

Much to his surprise, he received a response. _'Always.'_

* * *

Elrond gently removed the elfling from Aria's body and placed it in the awaiting blanket that Elladan had for him. It was, as he feared. The poison had killed the child. Aria had used her strength in fighting a loosing battle. Now would the cost be her own life?

He began to work quickly on stitching her back up.

"Ad…a…" came a weak voice just as he put the last stitch into her stomach.

Elrond looked up at Aria's face as her eyes were slowly opening. "Shh," he immediately said. "You need to save your strength, iell nin."

"Tell Legolas, I'm sorry," she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek.

"There is nothing to be sorry about."

She slowly nodded yes as she closed her eyes. "I won't be returning to him…" she slowly said as she took her last breath.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Legolas could feel it. Aria's warmth was suddenly gone. He felt cold and alone – it was almost as if he would never be warm again.

Without thinking, he stood up and bolted for the room where Elrond and Elladan were preforming the surgery on Aria.

"Aria, lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad," Elrond said leaning over Aria. There was no response.

With heavy footsteps, Legolas made his way to his wife's bedside and crumpled to the floor. His world was completely shattered. Aria was gone. His newborn son was gone before he ever came into the world. There was nothing left for Legolas now.

* * *

Aria smiled down at the small bundle wrapped tightly in a blanket in her arms. She had heard the call to come back from the light, but the pull of the light was just too strong. And she knew that if she went back, she would have to leave her son behind. He was too tiny to leave on his own.

So she kept walking into the light…

* * *

_**AN: lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan**__**galad – means hear my voice and come back to the light. It's from the Fellowship of the Ring. Elrond says it to Frodo. Anyways, sorry for needing some tissues in this chapter. I needed some writing it! I promise that this isn't the end. ;)**_

_**Leave me some loving please!**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:**** I should be in bed. Is that disclaimer enough? I only own Aria and Tolkien owns the rest!**

* * *

**Chapter 21:**

Five long years passed.

Not a day went by that Legolas did not grieve for his wife. It never got any easier for an elf would only love once in their life.

In an attempt to save his son's life and slow his fading, Thranduil sent Legolas away from Mirkwood shortly after Aria's death. He was to return to the House of Elrond and from there he would join Elladan and Elrohir during their rides with northern rangers. It had actually helped. Legolas was able to take out his anger and frustration about loosing his beloved on the orcs that he hunted with the rangers. Aragorn on the other hand had decided that it was best that he wander the rest of Middle Earth for a while and to seek his own place. The consensus was that this was his way of grieving for Aria.

There were always times that Legolas looked pale and sickly. It was these days that he grieved for Aria the most. Perhaps it was a special day that he remembered – her birthday, their anniversary, the day she died. Those were the hardest days.

There were very few that he could find comfort in talking to. Typically he just kept his feelings to himself since there were others who missed Aria as well.

Aragorn mourned his sister, as did the twins and Arwen.

Elrond mourned the loss of his daughter.

Other elves in Imladris seemed to mourn Aria's loss as well – especially Glorfindel and Erestor. They had both helped raised Aria since she was a little girl.

Yet, for all of them, they seemed to be getting over her loss with time. But he never would. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would completely fade from Middle Earth. He had held on for long enough. There was nothing that was holding him to Middle Earth any longer. His heart longed to be in the Halls of Mandos with his beloved.

His mind was made up. Shortly after the Midsummer's Feast, he would figure out a way to join Aria and their son in the Halls of Mandos. He had been separated from them for far too long. Life without them was not worth living.

* * *

The Midsummer's Feast was the largest of any of the feasts the Elrond held in Rivendell. Elves from both Mirkwood and Lórien attended. This year, Thranduil, Laurian, Talia and the children were going to attend with the Mirkwood delegation since last year Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had attended.

"You look well, ion nin," Thranduil said as he embraced Legolas tightly as he, Elrond and Erestor welcomed the Mirkwood delegation a few days before the feast. They had not seen each other since Legolas had departed Mirkwood almost five years ago. He felt that it would be too hard to return to the place that he knew as home without Aria by his side.

"Thank you, adar," he said putting on a front for his family. He went on to greet his brother, Talia and his nephew and niece.

Thranduil stood off to the side along with Elrond and Erestor. "How is he really doing?" he asked.

"There are good days. And there are bad days." Elrond said. "Right now, I fear that he may be heading towards some bad days."

Thranduil sighed. He knew that his son would not make it much longer in this world without Aria. There was no way of convincing him to sail to the Undying Lands where his mother was.

Instead he would loose him to Mandos.

"Now what about me? Don't I get a warm welcome too?" a voice said walking towards the group.

Legolas turned to see Tauriel standing behind him, smiling with her arms opened. She knew that he would be reluctant, but she also knew that he needed it. He smiled at his friend and embraced her tightly. "I've missed you, Tauriel," he whispered. "I've longed for someone to talk to."

"Well let's go then," she whispered back.

* * *

She watched with peaked interest. In recent days, the Mirkwood Prince had seemed so sad. Yet now, when family surrounded him, he is suddenly happy? There had to be more to this story. Besides the Midsummer's Feast was a time to find love and happiness. That had been her soul intention of coming with the Lórien delegation in the first place. The elves in Lórien were all stuck up and none of them interest her. Yet as soon as she saw the Mirkwood Prince, she knew that he was the one she had to have. He was gorgeous, seemed to have a kind heart – but there was something strange. It was almost as if part of him was missing.

Whatever it was. She was determined to win over his heart. Then he saw her. The red headed elleth that had come with the delegation with his father. She has seen him embrace her, and then quickly the two of them disappeared. Whoever this elleth was, she was going to have a fight on her hands.

* * *

"Things aren't the same. The forest has changed. It's darker than before. It was almost as if after Aria died, a light went out," Tauriel said. "Everything in Mirkwood became darker."

The two friends were sitting under a tree overlooking Glorfindel's training fields. They had a lot to catch up on.

Legolas sighed. "I can agree with that. There are days that I ask Mandos to come and take me so that I can be with her again. Then there are some days that I can barely make it through. Yet a day does not go by that I do no grieve for her. I feel so cold and alone," he said as he absent-mindedly twisted his wedding ring around his finger.

"Can't bare to take it off, can you?"

"No. It's the last thing I have that connects me to her. When we made our vows to Manwë and Varda, one of them was to always find a way back to each other. I know that she tried to on the day that she died. She told her father to make sure he told me that. But I can't help but wonder, why haven't I faded yet? I grieve for her daily. I loose sleep over her still. I have nightmares of loosing her still! There has to be something easier than the hell that I am living in isn't there?"

Tauriel gently placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder and squeezed it. "Immortality comes with a burden, mellon nin. There has to be a reason why the Valar have no allowed you to fade. I can promise you that."

Legolas smiled at his friend. "Now tell me, does Haldir know what he's gotten into by starting a relationship with you?" he said teasing his friend a little.

"Oh he knows." Tauriel said.

* * *

She smiled as she accepted the hand of Círdan, who helped her onto the dock. It was close to midnight on a moonless night.

"Welcome home," Círdan said. "I'm sure that you remember your way home."

She nodded as she drew the hood of the cloak around her and began the long journey home.

'_I will always find my way back to you, meleth nin.'_

* * *

Images and whispers flew past his mind's eye as he tossed and turned in his sleep. The first time he saw Aria, their first kiss, waking up with her in his arms, asking her to marry him, their wedding, even their first time as husband and wife. It was a continuous barrage of images.

'_I will always find my way back to you, meleth nin,' _a soft voice whispered to him in his dream.

His eyes slowly opened. Even though, Aria had been gone for five years, he had never gotten back into the habit of sleeping with his eyes opened. There were just some things that he didn't want to give up. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling as the images from his dream replayed themselves over and over again in his head. This had been a new dream. Typically his dreams of Aria were of him simply holding her close along with their son or simply them together. Then there were the nightmares of her death or something similar to it.

He rolled to his side and pulled opened a drawer in the table by his bed. Inside lay Aria's necklace and wedding band. Unhooking the clasp on the necklace, he placed the ring on the chain before putting the necklace back on his nightstand.

"I'll be with you soon meleth nin. Just a few more days" he whispered to the darkness as he closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.

As he did, he found that the cold that normally surrounded him since Aria's death was gone. Instead he felt the slightest bit of a tingly warmth building inside of him. Brushing it off as his imagination, Legolas fell into a restless slumber.

* * *

"Why does the Mirkwood Prince, Legolas, seem so sad and forlorn?" Mariel, an elf from Lórien who was visiting Arwen asked. It was the day before the Midsummer's Feast. The two elleth were helping Erestor in preparing for the feast.

"His wife died several years ago. He grieves for her still." Arwen said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I miss her as well."

Mariel turned and watched the retreating form of the Mirkwood prince, who had just been talking with Erestor about something. She was still determined to get what she wanted.

Even if it was going to come at a price.

* * *

Glorfindel brushed down Ashfaloth after his patrol duty. As he was finishing up, he noticed something odd coming from the back of the stables. One of the horses was acting up and trying to kick its way out of the corral that it was in. he quickly made his way towards the horse to try and calm it down, thinking it was a newborn stead.

Much to his surprise it wasn't.

Instead it was Argo.

Glorfindel placed a hand gently on the rump of the mare to calm her down as he spoke words of comfort to her. While it worked for a second, the mare quickly began bucking again and knocked Glorfindel out of the way before charging out of the stable. After a second or two, Glorfindel was back on his feet and saddling Ashfaloth to go after Argo.

"Where are you going?" Erestor asked walking into the stable. "Did you not just return?"

Glorfindel turned to look at his husband. "I did. But Argo just escaped. She was acting odd. I'm going after her. I shouldn't be long."

He pulled the dark haired elf towards him and kissed him deeply on the lips before climbing on the back of Ashfaloth. Erestor sighed as he watched his husband ride off. He hoped that he would not be gone too long. Earlier in the day, Legolas had come to ask him some questions that he felt were troublesome and he was worried for the young elf – questions about returning from the dead. Instead of turning to Elrond for advice, he wanted Glorfindel to talk to him instead.

The workings of the Valar were unexplainable at times. And Erestor knew that more than anyone else.

* * *

Glorfindel rode for hours in search of Argo. Finally a ways past the ford in the river, he found her. But she was not alone. Argo stood nestling her muzzle against the cheek of a hooded figure.

"Mae carnen, Argo, mellon nîn," a gentle voice whispered from beneath the hood.

Glorfindel dismounted Ashfaloth and slowly approached the hooded figure and Argo. Within seconds the hooded figure turned and he was greeted with a large pair of gleaming grey eyes with a hint of blue in them. His breath caught as he struggled to find the words. The hooded figure simply smiled.

"Can we please go home?" the figure asked. "I know that you will understand what it took to get back here. That is why I had Argo bring you to me."

"But why?" he asked. "I know why I was sent back, but why you?"

"I'll explain on the way home."

Glorfindel nodded as he helped the hooded figure onto the back of Argo before mounting Ashfaloth for the journey back to Rivendell.

* * *

_**AN: Just three more reviews…then we will have hit 100! Whoo hoo! Anyways, Aria said this to Argo (along with translation):**_

"_**Mae carnen, Argo, mellon nîn," - Well done, Argo, my friend**_

_**Moving right along, this chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to split it into two parts to give ya'll something to ponder on. Like who is the hooded figure? Will this Mariel get with Legolas? Will Legolas really join Aria in the Halls of Mandos? And Tauriel with Haldir? Ha! Anyways, feedback please!**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own Aria….the rest are Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 22:**_

'_Death is not the way,' Aria softly whispered to him as she ran her fingers through his hair. She lay on a bed a summer flowers, smiling up at him. _

'_Then how am I supposed to be with you?' he asked, kneeling next to her as he ran his hand along the side of her face. 'I can not live another day without you.'_

'_There is always life, meleth nin,' she replied leaning up and gently brushing her lips over his. _

_He deepened their kiss as he wrapped his arms around her slender body before she disappeared once more…_

Legolas slowly opened his eyes. For the second night in a row he was plagued by dreams of Aria. Was it because he was drawing closer to the day that he would end his own life simply to join her? Or was it more?

The previous night, the cold that had surrounded him since Aria's death had suddenly been replaced by a warm tingly warmth. But now it was growing in intensity. It seemed that the Valar wanted him to live for some reason.

Yet what reason did he have to live?

There was nothing on Middle Earth for him. What he longed for was in the Hall of Mandos.

* * *

Mariel sat on a stone bench in one of the many gardens of Rivendell and waited. She knew that Legolas would walk past her in just a few minutes on his way from his quarters to the Hall of Fire for breakfast with his family. She had picked up on his routine after watching him for a few days.

Tonight was the Midsummer's Feast and she was determined to ask him to be her escort to the feast. She didn't care if it was wrong for an elleth to ask an ellon to the feast. She just wanted a chance. That was all. Besides who was to deny her? Very few ellons did.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Legolas did emerge from one building and begin to walk towards another. She quickly stood up and fell in step next to him. They had spoken on a few occasions, but it had never been more than a few words.

"Good morning, Prince Legolas," she quickly said.

He turned to look at her as they walked. "Good morning, Lady Mariel. How are you today?"

"Well. I was wondering if you were escorting anyone to the feast tonight?"

Legolas stopped walking and turned to look at her, taken a bit back by her bluntness. Had he heard correctly? "I'm not really sure that is a good idea, Lady Mariel…"

"Just as friends?" she asked, with a small smile.

He sighed. Going as friends couldn't hurt. It would help his façade that everything was getting better before he took the poison later that night to join Aria and their son. "Sure, just as friends."

* * *

The rest of the day, Legolas noticed several strange things. First, his father and Lord Elrond were nowhere to be found along with Erestor and Glorfindel. All of this was strange, especially for Erestor, who was a perfectionist for details when it came to feasts. The second thing he noticed was that the twins were acting strangely – almost giddy in fact. It was like they knew something and they weren't telling anyone, which was damn near impossible for those two. They always told everyone, everyone else's business. Then the third thing was the warm feeling in his chest continued to grow in intensity.

He sat on his bed in his quarters and held the small vile of poison that he had bought several months ago in his hand.

Maybe going to the feast was a bad idea. Perhaps he should drink the poison and just be done with the entire ordeal a head of time.

No. That would just ruin everyone's feast.

He was already being selfish enough with ending his own life with poison. So why ruin the entire feast by doing it early. Besides he still needed to say his goodbyes to his family and friends before joining Aria in death.

Placing the vile back in the drawer by his bed, he stood up to get ready for the feast. He chose a dark blue tunic and fixed the braid in the back of his hair before placing his circlet in his hair. He was a Prince of Mirkwood. So why not act like it for one more day. The last thing he did was slipped Aria's necklace and wedding band into his pocket. The two pieces of jewelry went with him everywhere.

Satisfied with the way he looked, Legolas turned for the door to his quarters and was about to open it, when there was a frantic knocking. He opened the door with a puzzled look on his face. Standing on the other side was the twins.

"Ada sent us to find you. He and your father want to talk to you before the feast in Ada's study." Elladan said.

"But it is almost sunset and I am to escort Lady Mariel to the Feast. I do not want to keep her waiting." Legolas said trying to push his way past the twins.

"Trust us, Legolas. You want to go talk to them now!" Elrohir said, pushing back on him. "We will take care of Lady Mariel. This is far more important."

Legolas looked in between the twins for a moment. Had the two elf lords discovered his plan to end his life and were they going to try and stop him? What else could it be besides that?

"Fine, I will go."

"And we will make sure that you get there." Elladan said.

"Yes! This is far too important." Elrohir added.

Legolas sighed as he led the way down the hallway and towards Lord Elrond's study.

* * *

Upon arriving at the study, the twins told Legolas to go inside and wait for Lord Elrond and King Thranduil. Legolas was still confused about what was actually going on, but he did what the twins suggested.

Standing in the darkened room, he allowed his eyes to adjust to the lowering light from the setting sun. He had been in this room a few times when Aria was alive…

When Aria was alive.

That had been so long ago.

Sighing to himself he made his way across the darkened room towards the outside dais. He needed some fresh air. As he rounded the corner to go outside, he stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe what he was saw standing in front of him out on the dais.

It was something that had come out of his dreams. She was exactly the way he had remembered her. Gentle smile, large grey eyes, and slender build, with long wavy brown hair. She was wearing a light blue dress - that was his favorite color on her.

His Aria.

"I found my way back to you, meleth nin," she softly said, with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Legolas quickly closed the distance between them and pulled her tight against him as he kissed her deeply on the lips. They poured their love, loss, regrets and desires for each other into their kiss. Deep inside both of them, their bond rekindled. Tears spilled down Aria's cheeks, as Legolas pulled back from their kiss moments later. He smiled as he wiped them from her cheeks before kissing the tracks of the tears away.

"This belongs to you, meleth nin," he said reaching into his pocket and taking out her necklace and wedding band.

"Why do you have these in your pocket?"

"It was all I had left of you."

She looked up at him as tears began to fall from her eyes again. He quickly kissed them away before slipping her wedding band back on the finger it belonged on and then he put the necklace on her as well. "I love you, meleth nin," he said looking deeply into her eyes once everything was back in its proper place.

"And I love you too," she said wrapping herself in his warm embrace. Legolas held his beloved Aria close to him underneath the stars on the dais and smiled – his first true smile in almost 5 years. There was a reason that the Valar had not allowed him to fade. It was because they were sending Aria back to him and to Middle Earth. He didn't care the reason why they had done so. All that mattered to him was that she was back in his arms.

His world was right once again.

* * *

_**AN: Finally happiness again! I know I didn't bring back the baby as well nor did I explain why she returned. Trust me that will all be explained in upcoming chapters. Remember there is a method to my madness! **_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer – Aria is mine, everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

"Can't I just take you back to my quarters and keep you to myself for several days?" Legolas asked as they walked down the silent hallways towards the largest outside garden of Rivendell.

Aria smiled as she leaned into her husband's shoulder as they walked. Legolas refused to let up on his grip around her, afraid that she would disappear from him once again and that this was all a nightmare. "We'll go to the feast for just a little bit. Then we'll steal away to our quarters."

"Our quarters?"

"Yeah, our quarters that we had together years ago. Ada made sure that they were once again prepared for us. I know why you moved rooms. But wouldn't you want to move back?" she asked looking up at him.

"Of course meleth nin," he said kissing her lips softly.

* * *

Lady Mariel was not amused. First, Legolas had stood her up and sent Lord Elrond's half-Elf twin sons instead of him to escort her to the feast. What good were they? The two of them combined made for a full blood elf, while Prince Legolas was a full-blooded elf prince. Secondly, Legolas hadn't even shown up at the feast! Where was he? All of his family was here.

She sat at one of the high tables with Elladan on one side of her and Elrohir on the other. Everyone else was still making their way to their tables. Suddenly people began to gasp and stop in their tracks as they looked towards one of the garden entrances. Mariel watched in curiosity as hushed whispers of excitement and amazement began to be spoken as the crowd began to slowly part. "What's going on?" she asked leaning over and asking Elladan.

"You'll see," he said, motioning for her to look again.

Mariel turned her attention back to the scene in the middle of the garden and waited a few more seconds. Out of the crowd of elves, Legolas emerged with an elleth wrapped tightly in his grasp. Mariel was a bit confused by the smile that was spread across his face. She could tell that this was a genuine smile that Legolas had.

"Who is that?" she asked with almost a sneer, watching as the Lórien marchwarden, Haldir and one of the elves from Mirkwood, some elleth with red hair, were greeting Legolas and this mystery elleth.

"Our sister, Aria." Elrohir said.

Mariel did a double take. Hadn't she died? That's what Arwen had told her. Elrohir and Elladan could see the confusion on her face. They knew it was time that they left Lady Mariel for the night. They had agreed to escort her to the feast. That didn't mean that they had to stay with her the entire time. Besides, they never really liked her to begin with. They found her to be snobbish.

"The Valar work in ways that we don't understand," Elladan said, standing up from his seat. "They sent Lord Glorfindel back to Middle Earth for some reason."

"And they sent our sister back as well." Elrohir added, following his brother's lead.

She watched in amazement as the twin brothers walked towards this elleth and embraced her tightly. Elladan even went as far as to pick her up from the ground during his hug.

Mariel sat back and felt the jealousy within her rise. This wasn't supposed to happen. This was supposed to be her night to find happiness. Why was she so jealous of this elleth!

Perhaps it could still be her night after all.

* * *

Through out the feast, Legolas found that he couldn't keep his hands off of Aria. He was still afraid that she was going to disappear. He either had his hand wrapped around her waist, interlocked with his own fingers with her or his arm was draped protectively around her. Aria didn't seem to mind at all. She happily leaned against her husband as they sat watching other couples dance along and have a good time. Even they danced as well. For the majority of the feast, they had been content to sit at the high table and just watch and allow Aria to reunite with family members. There was only one time that Legolas allowed her to slip out of his grasp early into the night.

During the Midsummer's Feast, it was a tradition that Lord Elrond dances with his daughters – Arwen first, followed by Aria. Legolas watched her intently as Aria danced with her father. And as they danced, he noticed little changes about her. Nothing personality wise, just physical changes. First there were her ears. Instead of being the shape of man's ears, her ears now had a small point to them. Nothing noticeable unless you knew her ears intimately like he did. Secondly there was her skin tone. It wasn't the typical skin tone color that it had been before. He hadn't noticed this at first – since he had been too ecstatic with the fact that she was home and in his arms once again. But now she was faintly glowing in the moonlight like he and all the other elves did. Even the touch of her skin was much smoother.

As he wondered these things, another question formed in his mind - had Aria been reborn an elf? And if she had been, why?

* * *

"Promise me something, Legolas," Glorfindel said, pulling Legolas off to the side towards the end of the feast.

"Um, depends," he said, a bit unsure of where the captain of the Rivendell guard was going with his questioning.

"Take your time with Aria. Do not probe too much into what took place over the last five years. Trust me, being reborn by the Valar isn't all that its cracked up to be. But Aria is lucky. She has retained her memories of her life before she died unlike I did."

"So let her tell me about what took place when she is ready?"

"Exactly." Glorfindel said placing a hand on the younger elf's shoulder. "And I've known her since she was a youngling. I also know how deep the bond runs between the two of you, she will not keep anything from you for long. Just give her time."

* * *

"Come little one," Talia said as she took a hold of Imaya's hand. "It's your bedtime."

She and Aria had been walking through a side garden with the little girl when Imaya had begun to get sleepy. Talia promptly scooted her daughter off to bed leaving Aria behind.

Aria watched them leave with a heavy heart. If only…

She quickly shook the memory out of her head. She knew that she could not dwell in the bad memories of the past. She knew that in the future, she and Legolas would have children. The Valar would see to it.

She turned from the side garden and headed back to the main feast in search of Legolas. Glorfindel had wanted to talk to her husband about something, so that was why she had gone on the walk with Talia. Hopefully they were done by now. She really wanted to spend some alone time with him now.

"You're Aria, aren't you?" an elleth asked approaching her, out of nowhere.

"Yes I am. And you are?"

"Lady Mariel from Lórien."

"Pleasure to meet you. But if you will excuse me, I need to get back to my husband," she said trying to get around her. But Mariel moved right in front of her.

"I just have a quick question," she said, stopping Aria. "If you don't mind."

Aria stopped. "What's that?"

Suddenly Aria felt the side of her face sting and slightly swell as her head was forcefully whipped to the side. Even the breath was knocked out of her. Had she just been slapped?

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" Mariel spat at her. "You just think that you can suddenly reappear one day and reclaim your husband's heart when there are others who were trying to mend it since you've been gone?"

"Like you? You've been in Rivendell maybe a week. He's my husband; I have every right to reclaim his heart since it was mine to begin with."

"There have been others probably since you've been gone."

"Really? Can you hear yourself talk?" Aria asked trying to talk some sense into Mariel. But the elleth wasn't hearing any of it. She pulled her arm back to slap Aria again, but someone coming up behind them grabbed ahold of her and applied pressure to her wrist.

"Lay another hand on the princess of Mirkwood and I will personally break your wrist, followed by the rest of your arm," Tauriel said bending Mariel's arm in a position, applying just enough pressure to cause pain to shoot through Mariel's arm.

"I will take it from here, Tauriel," Haldir said moving from beside Tauriel and taking Mariel away.

Once Haldir had led Mariel away, Tauriel turned and looked at Aria. "You ok?" she asked.

"Yeah," Aria said nodding. "I just really want to get back to Legolas."

"Come on," Tauriel said. "I'll make sure you get there in one piece. Just like old times."

Aria laughed. "Just like old times."

* * *

Legolas gently held a cool washcloth to Aria's face to help the swelling on the side of her face to go down. Once he had found her with Tauriel and found out what happened, he immediately swept her off to bed. He was upset about what Lady Mariel had done, but he knew that Haldir would take care of it. Besides he didn't want show that he was upset to Aria. He rather spend the rest of the night making up for lost time.

Also he had more pressing concerns. He needed to make sure that Aria knew that there had been no one else to warm his bed during the five years she had been gone, no matter what anyone else had said to her.

"There," he said removing the washcloth. "That looks better. How does it feel now?"

"Better," she said smiling at him, as she leaned up from the pillows that she was laying against and kissed his lips deeply. She began to run her fingers through his hair as she pulled him down against the pillows with her. Eventually he broke the kiss and gently ran a finger along the side of her face.

"You know there was never anyone else who graced my bed but you, you know that right?"

"I know," she said smiling up at him.

"So tell me, meleth nin, what is with your ears? They look different," he asked a he slowly traced a fingertip along one of her ears. He watched with a smile on his face as Aria shuttered in delight and moan softly. Legolas kissed down her face and towards her lips. Before allowing him to kiss her too deep, she whispered against his lips. "The Valar gave me the choice to return as a human or half elf because of my elvish blood. I chose the later."

Legolas couldn't help but keep on smiling as he kissed her deeply, pressing his tongue against her lips – asking for entrance. She obligated him and quickly their tongues began to dance for dominance against the other as Aria began to massage the back of his neck. The longer they kissed, the more their hands began to rome. And soon a pile of clothing lay on the floor while Legolas and Aria spent rest of the night was getting reacquainted with each other – both in body and in soul.

* * *

**AN: Whew! I'm tired (I even fell asleep writing this chapter at my computer, that's why I had to go back and edit it) and happy that we are over 100 reviews! YAYAYA keep them coming please! Reviews make me happy =)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:**** Aria is mine….everything else, belongs to Tolkien!**

* * *

**Chapter 24:**

Legolas slowly opened his eyes as the mid day's sun rose higher in the sky. He lazily stretched and smiled as he felt that he had the best sleep in recent years. He smiled as he turned over in bed and reached for Aria's body to pull her close to him. But he quickly found that where her body should be lying, the bed was empty and cold.

Frantically he sat up and looked around the room. Had the previous night all been a dream? He quickly dispelled that thought given his current state of undress and seeing a light blue dress lying haphazardly on the floor. Aria had been wearing that dress last night. So where was she?

The door to their suite quietly opened and then shut. Legolas grabbed for his discarded leggings from the night before and pulled them on before walking into the sitting room to see who had entered the suite – hoping that it was Aria.

He walked to the doorway and peered around the corner. Sighing in relief – and thankful that last night wasn't a dream – Aria stood in their sitting room, wearing his dark blue tunic from the night before. She was setting out some dishes of food on their table. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he placed a kiss against her neck then nuzzled her lovingly. She turned her face towards him and kissed his lips before offering him a bowl of berries with cream for breakfast. There were also fresh strawberries on a plate as well on the table already.

He accepted the bowl and sat down, only to pull her into his lap. "You've been gone from me for far too long. I'm still not done letting you out of my sight," he said almost in a growl.

"Or out of your grasp," she said offering him a spoonful of the berries mixed with cream before taking a bite for herself.

"Or that."

The couple continued to enjoy their meal this way for the next few minutes.

"You know there is a difference between the berries of Valinor and Middle Earth?" Aria said, as she picked up a strawberry and looked at it.

"Really?"

"The ones on Valinor were too sweet for my liking. They are good, but these are my favorite," Aria said as she bit into the strawberry. Legolas smiled and leaned up and kissed his wife's lips after she finished eating the fruit.

"I think they are my favorite as well."

Aria kissed his lips again as she fed him a strawberry. They finished their breakfast in between feeding each other and several kisses. Legolas had to admit it was one of the tastiest breakfasts he had ever eaten. Once they were done, Aria rested her head on her husband's shoulder and sighed. She gently took a hold of Legolas' hand and placed something into it without looking then closed his fingers around it. He pulled his hand up and looked at what his wife had placed into his hand.

It was the vile of poison.

He sighed heavily as he looked up at Aria, who was looking at him with such sadness in her eyes. He gently set the vile on the table before running a finger down the side of her face. He knew that she was waiting for an explanation. "I was so lost without you. I could barely function. I would go through the daily motions but when I was alone, all I would do for the first two years was weep. I had dreams of you and our son. I had nightmares of your death. Adar sent me away from Mirkwood right after your death, thinking that your Ada would be best suited to help me. But it was to no avail. When I wasn't fading, I felt like I had to take matters into my own hands so that I could join you in the Halls of Mandos."

"There was a reason you hadn't faded…"

"I know that now." Legolas said in a whisper as tears rimmed the edges of his eyes. He placed his forehead against Aria's, as he continued. "Elves only love once in their lives. The day you died, half of me was ripped away. The warmth that I felt through our bond was snuffed out in a second and replaced with coldness. My world had gone dark and cold."

A tear slipped down his cheek as well as hers. She quickly wiped both of them away. "And now?" she gently asked placing her hand against his cheek.

"My world is right."

"As is mine," she answered, kissing him deeply on the lips as she felt him pick her up and carry her back to the bedroom.

* * *

"I would have thought that the two of you would have been in seclusion for a few more days," Elrond said as Aria and Legolas entered the dinning hall just on the other side of the Hall of Fire to join the family for dinner.

"With everyone leaving tomorrow, we decided that we would join our families for dinner," Aria said as she sat down next to Elladan with Legolas on the other side of her. "Then there would be more than enough time for ourselves after that."

Legolas nodded in agreement as dinner began along with various small talk around the large dinner table. Typically the family dinner in Rivendell would include Elrond, the twins (if not out on patrol or with the Rangers), Arwen, Erestor and Glorfindel. Occasionally Aragorn would be added to the mix. Or course Aria and Legolas were included as well. But tonight, the family dinner included Thranduil, Laurian, Talia and their children.

Once dinner had been served, the family retired to the Hall of Fire where various other elves and elleths were already gathering to listen to songs and talk into the night. This was how each night was in Rivendell. Most nights in the past, Aria and Legolas would go for a walk on their own or head off to their quarters early, but tonight they hung around the Hall of Fire for a while.

"I heard about what happened with the elleth from Lórien." Thranduil said to his son when Aria was out of earshot. They stood off to the side and watched her braid Imaya's long blond hair. "Tauriel informed me shortly after it took place. How did Aria take it?"

Legolas sighed. "She seems fine."

"But…"

"That's the problem, I don't know. There is something that she is not telling me. Something happened to her while she was in Valinor. She knows things now that I don't even tell her!"

Thranduil looked at his son for an explanation, but Legolas never gave him one – he just kept on talking. "It's almost like she can read my mind to a certain extent."

"Elf bonds are stronger than ones between humans. She did tell Lord Elrond and I that she was reborn as an peredhil so that could be why. "

"Maybe."

"I'm sure it will all work it's self out in time, ion nin," Thranduil said squeezing his son's shoulder. "Just give her some time. Besides if you've heard any of the stories from Lord Glorfindel about being reborn than you know that its nothing something that you recover easily from. I just ask one thing of you."

Legolas turned and looked at his father.

"Come home soon. I know that the people would love to see their prince and when word reaches them that their princess has returned, then they will be overjoyed as well."

Legolas smiled. "Soon adar. Just as soon as Aria is up to the journey."

"Good so that is why Elrond and I thought it best that Tauriel stay here as well. Plus it might help aid in Aria's recovery – having another friend here for her."

Legolas smiled and nodded in agreement.

* * *

"You still haven't told him." Glorfindel said, towering over Aria.

"It's been one day. Give me a break. Let me readjust to living!"

"The faster you get this done, the better off both you will be!"

"Oh and this coming from the Lord of the Golden Flower who pined over his dead best friend's son for how many centuries?"

"This is different."

Aria sighed. "How exactly am I supposed to tell Legolas that I had been murdered?"

* * *

**AN:** **I've been reading lots of Glorfindel/Erestor stories and I really like them! So they will be making lots of appearances in this fic. Anyways, this week is crazy so postings might be sporadic. Sorry! But real life will be getting in the way! Enjoy!**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Disclaimer**__**: Aria is mine….everyone else belongs to Tolkien…I'm just borrowing them for a bit.**_

* * *

**Chapter 25:**

The cool evening fall breeze rustled early leaves that had fallen from the trees as it blew through Rivendell. Aria curled up on the divan that sat on the balcony of her and Legolas' suite and stared up at the sky watching for Eärendil, the brightest star in the sky as night settled over the Last Homely House east of the Sea. She sighed in relief when she finally saw the bright star for she knew that one of her kin led the star across the sky. The thing was even though she had met the great figure during her time in Valinor, she still had far too many questions than she had answers.

She knew why she had been sent back to Middle Earth. The main reason was to make sure that the forces of Sauron did not spread past Mordor. Yet it was up to her to figure out how to do this. The best way that she had figured out so far – convince her brother to rise to the challenge of accepting his true fate as the King of Gondor.

But that was like telling an Orc not to attack anyone. There was little to no chance of that happening. He was too hard headed to list to anything once he set his mind on it. Besides, he didn't even know that she had returned from the Halls of Mandos.

Then there was the issue of her murder. She had a pretty good idea at who had ordered it. But she wasn't sure why. And there was no way that she was going to confront this person either. Not unless she had an entire army behind her. She could always get Glorfindel to probably do so if she asked nicely since he did lead the forces of Rivendell against the Witch-King of Angmar almost a thousand years before.

Damn elves. They live way too long.

Oh well. More time to spend with Legolas.

Hopefully no one else would try to kill her before they would make their way to the shores of Valinor one day in the far distant future - together.

Yet that still left the entire issue that she had not told Legolas that the Orc attack on Mirkwood that had claimed her life was actually an assassination that had been successful.

And it was gnawing at her for the last several months since she had returned. Glorfindel had been right. She should have told him sooner.

She leaned back against the divan and closed her eyes. She knew that when she told him that he would not only be hurt because she had kept it from him for so long, but also he would take it upon himself to seek out whomever had done this to her and right this wrong. And she couldn't allow that to happen.

"Something troubles you, meleth nin."

Aria looked up at the sound of her husband's voice behind her as Legolas moved out onto the balcony and joined her on the divan. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she did not even notice that her husband had returned from his training with the Rivendell guards. He sat down next to her and she curled up next to him and melted into his warmth.

She knew that she would never tire of his warmth.

"Nothing is troubling me," she quickly said.

It was a lie.

Legolas leaned close to her ear and gently kissed down it, eliciting moans from his wife. Ever since her return, he quickly learned that this was now her weak spot. If he wanted anything from her, all he had to do was kiss her ears and she melted into his hands. "Something does trouble you. I can feel it," he whispered into her ear as he continued to nibble her ear lobe with gentle kisses.

She huffed for a second and then took a deep breath as she leaned back from his kissing attack on her ears. "The Valar just don't send someone back without reason. There was a purpose to why I was sent back."

"I know that, just like Lord Glorfindel."

"Exactly. But mine is to prevent the forces of Sauron from spreading past Mordor. Not quite sure how I'm going to help achieve that one yet. But give me some time and I'm sure that I will come up with something."

"You're not expected to do this on your own are you?"

She shook her head no. "I'm just supposed to help. In what way, I'm not sure. That is for me to discover."

"And I'm sure that you will," he said kissing her lips softly.

She smiled at him as she laid her head back on his shoulder after the kiss and intertwined her fingers with his. "But there's more. And what I am about to tell you does not go beyond you and I. nor can you act upon it or I will send you to the Halls of Mandos myself."

Legolas looked down at his wife who was curled up tightly next to him in his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"That wasn't a random attack on Mirkwood that claimed my life. It was an assassination. I was murdered."

Legolas' jaw went straight and rigid. Had he just heard correctly? Did Aria tell him that she had been murdered? Their son had been murdered? "By who? Who ordered those orcs to attack?" he demanded.

"Saruman," she barely breathed.

"The white wizard?"

She slowly nodded yes.

"But he is an Istari. He was on the White Council."

"Before is was dissolved over 10 years ago. There are strange happenings in Isengard."

"Did you tell your Ada?"

"I told him what he needs to know and that is about why I returned, not the true circumstances behind my death. He considers Saurman an ally. But Glorfindel knows."

"Before me?"

"I had to! Who was I going to send in case you went storming off to Isengard? Which you aren't are you?"

"And risk being separated again? Never. Although, if I get the chance to kill him someday, I will not hesitate."

* * *

A quick succession of knocks on the door awoke both Legolas and Aria from sleep. It was well into the early hours of the morning. Legolas answered the door wearing a pair of sleep pants, yawning as Aria walked up behind him wrapping a robe around her to cover her thin sleeping gown.

"I'm sorry to bother you Prince, Princess," Hauir, a healer, said. "But I was sent to retrieve Princess Aria. She is needed immediately in the Halls of Healing."

"How come?" Aria asked, waking up a bit more. She had forgotten that her father had left that evening for his annual inspection of the borders of Rivendell with the twins and Glorfindel. That meant he had left her in charge of all emergencies with the Halls of Healing and Erestor in charge of everything else.

"It's Estel, my lady. He's been injured and the Rangers did not know where else to go."

* * *

_**AN: For those who are wondering why I didn't include much of Legolas' reaction to Aria's news...that is coming next chapter! **_

_** Just a warning, if there isn't a chapter posted until Sunday its because I have way too much to do between now and then – an evaluation at work, taking my student council kiddos to the state convention over the weekend, coaching, and living. But! I will make it up to ya'll in the coming weeks with Spring Break! Chapters every day! =)**_

_**Anyways, I hope this answered a few questions - feedback is always welcomed!**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I only own Aria….everyone else is Tolkien's!**

* * *

**Chapter 26**

"Out of my way!"

In a very unlady like fashion, Aria shoved the other healers out of her way as she moved to her brother's bedside. She gently sat on the edge of his bed and assessed his situation.

He had a raging fever. Likely from his body fighting off an infection from the injury he sustained. She picked up a cool rag from the nearby basin and gently ran it along his forehead. Erestor had already been sitting next to his bedside, silently stood by and waited for her to turn and look at him. When she didn't, he cleared his throat.

"What happened to him Erestor?" she asked.

"A mauling by a warg to his leg. Hauir and the other healers had cleaned it up the best they could before going to summon you, but the bleeding would not stop and the bite is to the bone."

Aria threw back covers to see a blood soaked wrapping around her brother's leg. "Why didn't you immediately tell me?"

Erestor didn't say anything as Aria began unwrapping the wound on her brother's leg to see if she could quell the bleeding. He stood back and allowed her to work – watching her quickly move around the room, grabbing for various herbs, new pieces of wrapping and she even decided to stitch up the wound. All in all, Erestor figured that Aria had completed double the amount of work that several of the other healers had done in the same amount of time just a little while ago. She may not be Elrond's daughter through blood, but she had definitely picked up on his healing techniques and cool head in a healing emergency.

"So did you get the bleeding stopped for now?" he finally asked once Aria sat down in a chair next to Estel's bed.

She nodded as she wiped cleaned her hands on a towel and sighed. "What of the rangers who brought him here?"

"I had Lindir show them to the guest quarters so that they could rest." Erestor said, sensing how tired Aria was. "Which you should be getting back to bed as well."

"Not until my brother is awake."

"You don't know how long that could be, Elin," he said.

"it doesn't matter. I can sleep in this chair."

Erestor sighed as he left the room. What was it with twins? Elrond's twin sons were hard headed and stubborn and so were Estel and Elin. The only on who could ever talk any sense into any of the twins was Lord Elrond or in Elin's case - there was always Legolas.

* * *

Soft humming. Something like a lullaby. Almost like what his mother used to hum to him and his sister when they were younger…

His sister…

He missed her dearly…

Wanting to know who was humming, Aragorn slowly and painfully opened his eyes. He was greeted with a blinding light at first, then as his eyes readjusted, he knew that he must had died in the warg attack the other night.

His sister was sitting next to him, gently humming as she was tending to a wound on his leg. Yet there was something odd about her. It seemed as if she was glowing.

"A..ri..a?"

Her face turned up towards his and she smiled. "Look who is awake!" she said with a smile. "You've been out for two days."

"Am I dead?"

She shook her head no.

"Th..en…ho..w….are….you…he..re?" he roughly asked.

"Finish recovering and then I will explain everything," she said turning towards a table and pouring him a cup of tea. He knew exactly what tea this was. His ada had made his drink this tea several times – it would help ease some of his pain in his leg and make him sleepy. Aria helped him drink the tea then she helped him get settled back in bed. Before he fell back to sleep, he felt his sister gently kiss his forehead.

Aria settled back into the chair only to have a pair of arms snake around her and familiar pair of lips came close to her ear. "You've spent far too long here. He's recovering. The wound has stopped bleeding and he has woken up. You need rest too, love."

She turned and gently kissed Legolas' lips before standing up. She knew that her husband was right. Legolas led her back to their suite before he swept her up into his arms and laid her gently onto the bed. "Rest, Aria," he said as he slipped off her shoes and covered her with a light blanket.

She snuggled with her pillow before looking at him with a sly smile on her face, as she shook her head no.

"No?" he asked.

"Will you hold me?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. There was no way he could deny her anything. He had missed her too much over the last five years. And a simple request by her for him to hold her in his arms was the least he could do. He quickly took off his boots and climbed onto the bed with her. Aria's tiny frame melded easily against his as he wrapped his arms around her.

Legolas sighed happily as he breathed in Aria's scent – vanilla and apple blossoms. As he held his sleeping wife in his arms, he couldn't help but let his mind wonder to some of the things that had recently come to light. The biggest thing that was weighing on his mind was the fact that she had been murdered – and murdered by an Istari who had been sent to help the people of Middle Earth, not kill them! Just thinking about this caused anger to boil up inside of him. If he knew that he could kill Saurman and survive then he would do it, but alas, he knew that it was folly. Saurman was far too powerful.

Then there was the issue of what the Valar had sent her back to do – not allowing the evil of Mordor to spread. However Aria was supposed to do what, then he would help her in whatever way possible. She wasn't even sure what she needed to do. But he knew that together they would find a way. They had always been stronger together then when they were apart. Perhaps that had been why the Valar had sent her back - so they could do this together and with others.

Like her brother…

* * *

"I WILL NEVER TAKE THE THRONE!" Aragorn bellowed.

"DON'T BE SO SURE!" Aria yelled right back at him.

"I don't have to take this. I don't want to hear this." Aragorn said crossing his arms in front of him as he still lay on the bed in the Halls of Healing. He had already sat through the explanation of how and perhaps why Aria was suddenly back from the dead. That he bought, but now she was bringing up a sore subject – the subject of his true destiny.

"Too bad! You can't walk for three more days!"

"I don't care about you. Your stupid mission for the Valar. Or even my destiny."

Suddenly his face stung as he realized what he had just said. Had Aria just slapped him?

"You will never get what your heart truly wants, unless you become king. And I never want to see you again!" Aria said with a straight and hard look on her face as tears poured down her cheeks. She turned on her heel and ran from the room.

"Aria!" he yelled trying to get out of the bed to go after her. "Aria come back!"

As he stood up on his injured leg, pain shot up through his leg and he had to sit back down. There was no way that he could walk. He sat down and put his face in his hands. What was he going to do? He had just broken the heart of his sister, by telling her that he didn't care about her at all.

And that was the furthest thing from the truth.

* * *

**AN: Miss me? I missed ya'll too! And this week is sorta better but next week is even better…since its spring break! Yes teachers love vacation time too! So enjoy and I love feedback!**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Disclaimer:**__** Only Aria belongs to me. Everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

**Chapter 27:**

Yelling was the first thing that Lord Elrond heard as he entered the Halls of Healing upon his return to Rivendell. Lindir had greeted him upon his return from the inspection of the borders and informed him that Estel was currently resting in the Halls of Healing. But he was no prepared for what he heard and saw.

Several guards were restraining Estel while Erestor stood on the other side of the room glaring at him. "This is not my fault, Estel. It is yours!" Erestor snapped back at a previous comment that Elrond had not heard come from Estel.

"HOW COULD YOU LET HER LEAVE?" Estel yelled.

That was when Elrond entered the conversation. "What is going on?" he asked walking further into the room. Immediately Estel recoiled from his yelling at Erestor and calmed down at the sight of his Ada. He sat back on the bed and hung his head down in shame. The guards stayed and stood by his bedside.

Seeing that Estel was not going to talk, Elrond turned to look at Erestor. The chief counselor cleared his throat then launched into what had transpired while Elrond had been away. "Estel and the Rangers were attacked by Orcs and wargs the first night you were gone. Estel was gravely injured. Not knowing where else to go, they brought him here. Elin healed him and took care of his leg wound. Then a few days later, they had a huge fight, which resulted in Elin asking Legolas to take her away from Estel. So they and Tauriel left that night – I figure that they returned to Mirkwood. I had tried to ask her what happened before they left, but she was crying too hard to get an answer from her and Legolas simply told me to go talk to Estel."

Elrond held up a hand to stop his chief counselor from talking as he turned to look at Estel. "What did you say to her?" Elrond asked.

"That I didn't care about her, the reason she had been sent back or my destiny." Estel mumbled, still looking at the floor.

Elrond gently began to rub his forehead. No wonder Aria had left. This wasn't what he had expected to come home to.

"I didn't mean any of it, Ada." Estel said, finally looking up. Tears rimmed the edges of his eyes as he looked so young and vulnerable in Elrond's eyes.

Elrond turned to look at Erestor. He motioned for him and the guards to clear the room. which they quickly did. He moved to sit on the edge of Estel's bed. "Did Aria tell you why she was sent back by the Valar?" he asked.

"Something about stopping evil from spreading."

"They tasked her with finding a way to stop Sauron. She has an incredible amount of pressure on her shoulders. Every single elf in Imladris has vowed in secret to help her. Legolas will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and aid her. But of all those on Middle Earth that can help her the most, it is you. I understand that you do not want the burden of being tied down as a ruler. Yet unless you become King of Gondor, I will never bless the union between you and Arwen."

Estel looked at him in shock. "How did you know?"

"A father knows when their daughter is in love."

"But you blessed the union between Aria and Legolas."

"While I consider you and your sister both to be my children, you are still not mine by blood. I knew that Aria needed the love and support that Legolas could provide her more than the healing of Rivendell. That is why I blessed their union. You are both totally different - even more so now, yet you are still tied together through destiny."

Estel sat silent as he thought about what his ada had just told him. He and Arwen could never be together unless he took up the throne of Gondor, simply to help his sister? Wait…Aria had told him this the other night! She had told him that he would never truly get what he wanted unless he became king. Her foresight abilities were always better than his. So what else had she seen?

"This is something that you have to mend with her. Legolas took her back to Mirkwood. Yet I doubt that he or his father will be willing to let you see her very easily."

"I will do whatever it takes."

Elrond nodded. "Now let me look at your wound. Then I will allow you to leave when it is completely healed."

* * *

As soon as they had reached the Mirkwood Forest and came upon other Woodland Realm guards, word was sent ahead to King Thranduil to prepare for Legolas and Aria's arrival. The last few days of the journey, Aria was nervous. What if the kingdom didn't believe it was really her? What if she was shunned again?

What if…

What if…

What if…

"Stop worrying, meleth nin," Legolas said as he rode next to his wife towards the end of the journey. He had sensed her weariness growing through their bond. His father was right – bonds between elves were stronger and since Aria's return, their bond was stronger than ever. "Adar remembers how you weren't accepted last time and he won't make the same mistake again. He'll explain everything to the kingdom."

"I hope so," she said turning to look at him.

Legolas reached over and placed his hand against her cheek. "I know so."

Towards the beginning of one afternoon, they had reached Mirkwood Hall. It was the same as they remembered it. For Legolas, being away for five years was nothing in his long life thus far. But it still felt good to be home among the trees and foliage. Yet for Aria, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

Neither of them were prepared for what greeted them once they had entered its protected barriers that had been enhanced since last either of them had crossed it. What seemed like every elf that lived in Mirkwood, welcomed them home with King Thranduil right out in front, along with Imaya and Fligan. While most of the cheers were for their prince who had been gone for five years, Aria even heard some for her.

"See," Legolas said as he helped her from Argo's back. "I told you everything would be alright."

Aria stole a quick kiss from her husband as he led he through the throng of well-wishers and up to his father who quickly ushered them all inside.

"Both of you must be tired from your long journey home. Rest now and then there is a feast planned for tonight," Thranduil said hugging his son then Aria. "We are all glad that you are home."

"So are we," Legolas said before leading Aria down the hallway towards their quarters.

Thranduil watched as they walked away. What had happened to send Aria fleeing from Rivendell? Perhaps one of them would tell him later that night.

* * *

Legolas laughed as he watched Aria try to teach Fligan how to dance during the banquet later that night. While the young prince kept stepping all over Aria's toes, she still kept on smiling and calmly telling him what to do.

"She seems to be readjusting fine," Thranduil said moving next to his youngest son.

"She is." Legolas said, keeping his eyes fixed on his wife.

"I was certain that the two of you would have stayed much longer in Imladris. What happened?"

"Aria and Aragorn got in a fight. He basically said that he didn't care at all for her and she said she never wanted to see him again. I didn't get all of the information out of her yet since I wasn't with her when it took place. She was happy when she had left to go talk to her brother one night then about an hour later; she comes running back into our suite and was sobbing hysterically. After getting as much as I could out of her, she asked that I take her away from there since her brother was injured and couldn't leave. So that's what I did."

"What did Lord Elrond say?"

"He was out checking the borders of Imladris. I had no idea when he was going to return and Aria was refusing to wait."

"You do realize that her brother will probably come here and want to talk to her."

"That I do and I refuse to let him see her. She is my wife to protect and it was hard enough not to have words with him before we left Imladris. But if he dare comes to Mirkwood, I will no hold back my anger."

"Then so be it. I will inform the guards that if they see him in the woods, they are to escort him out on my orders as well as yours."

"Thank you adar," Legolas said as turned away from his father and went to rescue Aria from getting any more toes smashed during her dancing lesson with Fligan. Thranduil couldn't help but smile. His family was finally whole once again.

* * *

An arrow went whizzing past his head and impaled itself into the tree inches from his ear. Aragorn quickly reigned in his shocked horse as he tried to calm down his racing heart as well. He hadn't realized that he would be ambushed this little distance into the Mirkwood Forest. He was still a day or so out from King Thranduil's Halls

"You are not allowed here," a voice said emerging from the forest foliage. A Woodland Realm guard stood before him, pointing another arrow at him. Behind him stood another three guards – all doing the same thing.

"Please. I've got to see my sister," he begged as he got off his horse and approached the four guards.

"No. The King and Prince Legolas has said no one is allowed to see the Princess, especially you."

"I see," Aragorn said getting right in the head guards face. "Then so be it."

He pulled his arm back quickly and punched the guard in the stomach. Within seconds, the other three guards were on top of him, restraining him from doing anything else. They pulled him up to his feet, which he did not struggle against the stronger elves holding him still. "Take him to Tauriel. She'll decide what to do with him," the head guard said.

* * *

"Did you really die?" Tarkin asked as she and Aria sat out on a balcony and talked.

Aria smiled at the young elf as she nodded yes. Upon their return to Mirkwood, Aria felt that she needed to get back into the flow of life. That included lessons with Tarkin. She knew that the young elf would have questions for her, yet she decided that she would answer them the best that she could and be truthful with her answers.

"Was it scary?"

"No. It was sad though," Aria gently said as her mind drifted off to everything that transpired for her while in Valinor – leaving her infant son in the arms of her father, Arathorn, while Námo led her away to face Manwë, then to all those she met during her time there and finally her return home to the arms of Legolas. Part of her was still amazed that she had even made it through all of it. The only thing that had kept her going the entire time was the promise from Manwë that Legolas would not be allowed to fade and that they would be reunited when she was returned to Earth.

"Somehow I always knew you'd come back…"

Aria looked at Tarkin. "How?"

"I had visions of Prince Legolas smiling as he held someone concealed in light. then several months ago, the person in the light was revealed to be you. So I knew that you had returned."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"Who could I tell?" Tarkin said, looking down at the floor. "Very few actually believe that I am a seer. So I kept it to myself."

"Next time," Aria gently said, tilting Tarkin's chin up. "Tell Prince Laurian if neither myself nor my husband are here. He knows what to do."

Tarkin nodded as she stood up and left the balcony. Aria sat there for a second longer before standing up. As she was beginning to leave the balcony, Talia rushed out to meet her.

"Come here. You need to see something," Talia said motioning to the far side. Aria followed her and peered over the ledge below to the front entrance of Mirkwood. A group of Woodland guards was leading someone towards Legolas and Tauriel. The person in captivity was fighting against his bonds before being struck from behind by the end of a bow. As the captive person fell to his knees, Aria could see their face.

Aragorn.

She turned and ran from the balcony.

* * *

"Leave us." Legolas said to all the guards as he looked down at Aragorn, who was still sitting on his knees.

Once all the guards and Tauriel were gone, Legolas undid the bindings around Aragorn's wrists and helped him to stand. He rather say what he was going to say to someone who was standing eye to eye with him and not kneeling. "Aria made it perfectly clear that she never wanted to see you ever again. I am just making sure that her wishes are fulfilled."

"But something's changed."

"What has?"

"She said something to me about nothing being sure that I wouldn't take the throne of Gondor and since then I have been having visions about fighting then being crowned. At first, I thought that these were nightmares because of all the bloodshed, yet I soon realized that I had to be a vision because its so vivid. She's always told me that I would eventually end up on the throne of Gondor. I just never believed that she was right. But now I think she is."

"That still does not give you any right to come here. She does not want to see you."

Aragorn didn't say anything as his attention turned elsewhere for a moment. His eyes were focused on something behind Legolas. The prince turned to see what was behind him. Aria was slowly making her way towards them. Legolas turned from Aragorn and walked towards his wife. He could sense her hesitation about seeing her brother.

"You don't have to see him, meleth nin. I'll have the guards and Tauriel escort him out of the woods." Legolas said softly to Aria as he met her halfway. He gently placed a hand against her cheek to calm her down a bit.

"Let me talk to him for a second, please?"

"Whatever you wish," he said not wanting to upset his wife.

Legolas stepped back as Aria moved around him and towards her brother. He stood behind her just in case she needed him for anything.

"Aria…" Aragorn said in a whisper as he saw her.

"So a vision now?" she asked. "You are having a vision of the future. Haven't you had them before?"

"Yes but I've chose to ignore them?"

"Why?"

"Because that is not what I want."

"What do you want now?"

"I do not know," he said. "But you were right about something else. Ada refuses to grant his blessing so that Arwen and I can eventually marry. He said I had to ascend to the throne of Gondor first."

"So that is why you came all the way out here? Just to tell me that?"

"No. I came to beg for your forgiveness. I am sorry for what I said to you before. I want to help you in any way necessary if you will allow me."

"I do not accept your apology nor do you truly want to help me," she said turning away from him. "Go rest in Dale. And think about what you truly want. I will find you in a few days. But first, I want you to know just what I went through."

Aragorn stood still as his sister walked towards him and placed her hand against his heart. His chest became warm as he fought the urge to close his eyes – which he eventually surrendered to. As his eyes slid closed, he saw memories – Aria's memories and feelings as well. Sadness. Grief. Loneliness. All of these feelings filled his heart as the memories sped by. The images didn't last long as Aria pulled her hand away. He opened his eyes and looked at his sister. "I never knew…" he whispered.

"Only Glorfindel understands," she said as she turned and walked away from him.

Aragorn watched as Aria and Legolas disappeared into Mirkwood as several guards reappeared and forced him towards his horse to lead him to Dale.

* * *

The images replayed themselves over and over again in Aragorn's head. If he had only known what she had all endured before he had said those things to her then none of this would be happening. No wonder Legolas was so protective of her.

He turned over on the bed and starred up at the ceiling of the inn that he was staying at in Dale. It had been three days since he had seen Aria. Now he was wondering when she was going to find him so that they could talk. He had made his decision and he wanted to tell him. he sighed as sleep came to him, which was only plagued by nightmares of all that he loves dying.

* * *

_KNOCK!_

_KNOCK!_

Aragorn awoke to a loud rapping on his door. He stumbled out of bed and answered the door with a yawn. Standing on the other side was a hooded figure.

"Can I help you?" he asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was still dark outside. How early was it?

The figure looked up at him as they pushed back their hood.

"Aria," he said with a smile. He stepped aside and let her enter the room before quietly shutting the door.

"Sorry for coming so early," she said taking off her cloak. "I had never traveled to Dale on my own before so I didn't know how long it would take."

"Where's Legolas?"

"On patrol."

"Does anyone know you are here?"

She nodded yes. "The king knows. He wanted guards to accompany me. But I asked to come on my own. He knows that I will be able to handle myself."

She sat down in the only chair in the room, while he sat down on the edge of his bed. "What decisions have you come to?" she asked.

"I now understand that my fate is tied to yours. Even though I do not want the power of the throne, I know that I must eventually rise to it. It won't be today nor tomorrow nor anytime soon. But someday. When the time is right."

"When will that be?"

He sighed. "I do not know. Lately I've been plagued with the same vision that you have of loosing all you hold dear."

"Are you standing on a field with a great army surrounding you?"

Aragorn nodded yes.

"Is Legolas with you?"

Again, a nod yes.

"Recently I've seen other figures with you. They are still blurry to me. I think that they are the others that I need to find to help in this quest from the Valar."

"I saw these other figures last night for the first time. Do you think that is what it means?"

"Who knows at this point. But then again, I also have had visions of you in the armor of the King of Gondor."

Aragorn slightly cringed. He still wasn't crazy about this entire idea. But he knew that he was going to have to accept his fate at sometime or another. So why not now.

"It's been almost 20 years since we found out," Aria said. "Why not start accepting fate. If there is one thing that I've learned from my time in Valinor, its that fate binds us to others in several different ways. Fate is what brought me to Mirkwood all those years ago when I first met Legolas. Fate is what brought about my death and fate is also what brought about my return. You said that your fate is tied to mine."

"It is. I see that now."

"Good. I'm holding you to that."

"So what now?" he asked as they both stood back up.

"We wait until the time is right and fate decides that it is time."

* * *

_**AN**__**: Whew! Longest chapter so far! Ok for those who are timeline junkies like me….Aragorn and Aria are about 40 years old at this time. So that means there is roughly 47 more years until the events of LOTR. The next few chapters will be time jumps to get us there. Fate decided it =)**_

_**Oh! I'm off of work for a week! So look for lots of updates!**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**AN:**__** Aria is mine….everything else belongs to Mr. Tolkien!**_

* * *

**Chapter 28:**

Slowly things got back to normal in everyone's lives.

Aria and Legolas once again began to split their time between Imladris and Mirkwood. Even though Aria had assured him that she and her brother were now in agreement about their fates, Legolas was still weary about allowing him close to Aria. Seeing his wife's heart crushed like it had been was hard enough the first time – what was there to stop it from happening again?

"Arwen." Aria simply said one summer day when Legolas questioned, once again, why Aragorn had changed his stance after so many years. While it had been several years since the incident, Legolas was still uneasy at times in Imladris.

"What does your sister have anything to do with this?" he questioned as he sat down on the couch next to her in their suite in Imladris.

"I know that I explained this to you before. But Ada won't bless the union between Aragorn and Arwen unless he claims the throne of Gondor. Aragorn isn't just doing this for me. He is doing it for himself as well. Arwen has bound herself to Aragorn. She told me that the other night when we arrived. She wants to choose a mortal life."

"So like you said, your ada won't bless the union unless Aragorn is king."

"Exactly and she knows that as well as I do. We hope that Aragorn is still holding true to his promise to me, since it now involves Arwen."

"Do you think that he is?"

"Yes. Why else do you think that for the 15 years he has been serving the Ecthelion, the Steward of Gondor under the guise of Thorongil? He's trying to convince the Steward to trust Gandalf more than Saruman."

Legolas thought about it for a moment. Had it really been 15 years since Aria had returned from Valinor? It had seemed like nothing to him. He reached out and pulled his wife closer to him.

"You didn't tell him about Saruman did you?"

Aria shook her head no as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I'll let you deal with Saruman eventually. Aragorn has too much to worry about. He still has to decide when he is going to ask ada to reforge Narsil."

"So once he does take the throne of Gondor, how do we defeat Sauron?"

"That I still don't know."

* * *

Legolas sat back during the time that the family spent in the Halls of Fire after their evening meal and watched Aria and Arwen quietly talk away from everyone else. Arwen had returned to Imladris after spending several years in Lórien with her grandparents – Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. While Arwen was considered by many to be the fairest of all elf maidens, Legolas was still partial to thinking that his wife could give Arwen a run for that distinction. Yet he would never voice his opinion, besides he really did not want to know if other elves thought that his wife was beautiful or not. She was his and his only. That was all that mattered to him.

One thing he noticed as he watched Arwen and Aria was the fact that Aria had changed very little over the last 15 years. They had recently seen Aragorn recently and he did look older – not much, just a bit. Yet it seemed that Aria had not aged as much as her brother had. He had wondered if she would age or not after her return and now it seemed that the answer was that if she did age any more, it would be very slow since she had chosen the life of a peredhil instead of a mortal.

But would any of this matter if she couldn't figure out a way to defeat Sauron and keep his minions at bay? What would happen if she failed? Legolas knew that he couldn't dwell on this issue forever. Nor could Aria. They both had to continue to live their lives as well.

And that included starting a family.

Now that Aria had chosen the life of a peredhil, he knew that they could have a family together whenever they wanted. Yet seeing the look on her face whenever she saw Talia and her children over the years had pained him. Imaya and their son should have been the same age. He knew that Aria wanted children, as did he. So why shouldn't they be trying for a family of their own?

When Aria had been pregnant the first time, the prospect of being a father had both scared and amazed him. Then it was violently taken away from him. Now that he had been given a second chance, why shouldn't he be making the most of it with his beloved?

"I want to have a family," he said as they sat along the River Bruinen late one afternoon. They had taken a walk just to get out of Rivendell for a little while.

"I do too." Aria said smiling at him.

"No, I mean I want to start now. I want to try now."

Aria's face fell as she shook her head no. "Not right now," she said fighting back tears. She quickly stood up and turned away from her husband.

"Why not!" Legolas said in anger as he stood up. He really wanted to know a good reason to why Aria was telling him no. She usually always agreed with what he wanted. And if she didn't, she always had a good reason.

"I don't want to!" she yelled at him before turning and running back towards Rivendell without him.

Legolas stood there, dumbfounded for a moment. What had just happened? Why was Aria mad at him? He decided that it would be best to leave her alone for a little while.

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, Legolas avoided his wife. Before going to dinner he decided that he wasn't even going to bring up the subject of children again – it would be entirely up to Aria. Something was bugging her about the entire idea of a family. It had been over 15 years since her return so that meant over 20 years since they had lost their son. She was keeping something from him and he knew that if he left her alone then eventually she would come around and tell him what was bugging her. That's how she had always been. She kept everything to herself until it would eventually build up inside of her and cause her to have an emotional breakdown in which she would let everything out that was bugging her. This had happened quite often during their first few years of marriage but after almost being married for thirty years he would have thought that Aria would have learned to express her feelings to him. Oh well – old habits are hard to break.

Legolas would just have to resort to his charms to get his wife to talk to him about what was bugging her.

At dinner that night, he sat next to her usual seat. When she sat down next to him, he reached out, took ahold of her hand and squeezed it. She turned to look at him and he simply smiled at her. "I love you," he whispered as he leaned over and kissed her cheek softly.

"I love you too," she responded with a smile.

Instead of joining the others in the Hall of Fire after dinner, Legolas and Aria retreated to their suite for the night. Neither of them really wanted to be around others after their argument that afternoon plus Legolas still wanted to know what was bugging his wife.

Once they were safely behind closed doors, Aria turned and looked at her husband. She sighed and took ahold of his hands as he pulled her close to him. "What is it, meleth nin?" he asked, running a hand through her hair.

"It's not that I don't want a family, because I do. Just not right now," she softly said, avoiding his gaze.

"How come?"

"Why rush things? We originally thought that we had maybe 200 or so years before we had to sail to the Undying Lands before I got too old. Now we have forever," she said looking up at him.

Sensing that this was the best answer that he was going to get from her for now, Legolas accepted it. Deep down, he hoped that she eventually would tell him what was really bugging her.

* * *

"_That's it," a rough voice whispered in her ear as immense pain shot through her body as he forced himself in her. "Gotta make sure that our merchandise is good for our buyers."_

_She refused to cry or scream. Yet she kept silent. She wouldn't let him know what he was doing to her. Wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how it was breaking her…_

_The scene changed. Instead of her rapist leering over her, instead she was now falling to her knees with thick black blood seeping from her shoulder as more pain shot through her body. Slowly darkness took over as she felt the pull of the Halls of Mandos beckon for her. She could hear her ada calling for her to return from the light, she could feel the bond between her and Legolas breaking and becoming weaker, yet something kept her moving towards the light. _

_Her son. That's what propelled her to move forward. She looked down at the small bundle in her arms and smiled. He was so small and fragile. Much too small to be left alone. That was why she had to come with him. She had never wanted to leave her husband; no she loved him far too much. But someone had to care for this little one. Hopefully Legolas would understand..._

_So she kept on walking. _

_Soon she found herself surrounded by unknown figures as well as some known. Famous figures through out the history of Middle Earth mixed and mingled with those who were not. _

"_My dear, sweet Aria. You have turned out to be a beauty like your mother," a voice said behind her. _

_Aria turned around as was face to face with someone she had never known, yet still knew. It was her father – Arathorn. "Papa," she said as she walked towards him and he embraced her gently before smiling down at the babe in her arms. _

"_And who is this?"_

"_My son," she said handing the small child to her father to hold. _

"_The son of an elf, no less," Arathorn said taking notice of the babe's slightly pointed ears. Aria smiled slightly. "His father would have been proud of him, I'm sure of it."_

_Aria smiled at her father's comment as she watched for a while longer as her father held his grandson. As she watched, she began to take notice of the Halls of Mandos. There were large tapestries on the walls depicting the events of Middle Earth. Typically Námo would sit on his throne and just watch over the souls elves and men until the end of time – or whatever fate men had. Yet as she looked around Námo was nowhere to be seen. _

"_YOU ARE NOT TO BE HERE!" a voice suddenly boomed behind her. _

_Aria slowly turned around and was face to face with the Doorman of the Valar – Námo. She stood there petrified. _

"_Come with me," he said. _

_Aria turned for her son. _

"_The child stays."_

_She nodded as she turned away from her father and son as she followed the Valar through the hall and into a large chamber. Tears slowly fell down her cheeks as she walked away from her father and son, never to see either of them again…_

* * *

"Aria?" came a soft whisper.

She felt a hand gently run along the side of her face, wiping away the remnants of tears that had fallen. "Aria?" the voice whispered again this time with concern laced in its tone.

She slowly opened her eyes to see Legolas lying on his side, slowly stroking the side of her face. He was leaning close to her. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and curled into his body, burying her face against his bare chest and beginning to cry once again. He gently wrapped his arms around her sobbing body and held her close to him. He had known that she was heading towards an emotional breakdown after their fight that afternoon over the issue of children, but he didn't know that it would be this soon.

"Shh," he whispered. "It was only a dream."

"No it wasn't," she murmured against his neck, as she sniffled. "It was the past…"

"What did you see?" he whispered, knowing that when Aria talked about her dreams and visions that she always felt better.

Aria turned and laid her head against Legolas' shoulder and rubbed her red eyes with the back of her hand before sniffling again. Legolas gently ran his hand along her back, above the silk nightgown that she was wearing. He felt her body begin to shake as another wave of sobs racked against her chest.

Legolas readjusted himself in their bed so that he was sitting up against the backboard as he pulled Aria up in his arms. Pressing a kiss against her forehead, he let his love for her surround her through their bond. Hopefully that would calm her down a bit. No wonder she had snapped at him that afternoon. He was going to have to tread lightly on what he said to her.

"Meleth nin, the past is the past. Nothing can change it," he whispered, as he held her close to him.

She nodded against his neck as her breathing calmed down and her sobs came under control after a few more minutes.

"Now what did you see?" he asked again in a whisper.

"First I was being raped and felt the pain from that. Then I felt the pain from my death and the pull of the Halls of Mandos. Then…then…then…I HAD TO LEAVE HIM THERE!" she wailed.

So that was it. The pain of having to leave their son in the Halls of Mandos was what was stopping her from wanting to have a family.

"He was so small and I had to leave him there! How would he survive without me? It wasn't fair that I got to come back and he didn't!" Aria cried. She buried her face into Legolas' chest and cried for several minutes, while Legolas held his heartbroken wife in his arms. Just how long had she been keeping these feelings from him?

"I'll admit that I have selfish thoughts as well," he eventually said. "I often question why didn't our son come back with you. But Aria there is a reason for everything. You more than anyone should know that."

"I do," she said sniffling. "And I changed my mind as to when I want a family with you."

"When's that?"

"When either Sauron is defeated or the Valar deem it appropriate. I just can't consider bringing an elfling into this world with the darkness that is coming from Mordor. I've already delivered one son to Námo and his halls. I do not want to allow him to claim any more members of my family before their time or at all for that matter."

"I can live with that."

Aria finally smiled as she wrapped her arms around her husband's chest and allowed herself to relax. For the first time in several years it had felt good to finally get out what had happened to her in the Halls of Mandos. Legolas had never asked, so she had never told him. But she had always felt horrible for leaving her son behind. She knew that she would eventually have to confront her fears about having elflings and loosing them at an early age, but she would cross that bridge when she got to it – with her husband by her side. And if the Valar thought that she and Legolas were ready for an elfling before her task was complete, then so be it. Who was she to question their ways?

Eventually she drifted off to sleep, still curled up in her husband's arms. Legolas watched over her for a while before falling back to sleep himself. He had known that coming back from the dead so to speak wasn't easy. Glorfindel had told him often that he as amazed at how easily Aria was handling things.

Perhaps this was the one thing that she couldn't handle - the fact that she had to leave their son behind.

Hopefully, like with what had happened to her before their marriage, time could heal these wounds as well.

* * *

_**AN: Next chapter starts the Fellowship of the Ring! This chapter would have been up sooner but my internet was acting up….stupid internet!**_


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: Only Aria is mine. Everything else is Tolkien's!**

* * *

**Chapter 29:**

Over the next few years, things grew tense through out Middle Earth. All the elvish strongholds could feel the darkness spreading and increased their protections. Lord Elrond insisted that Arwen return from Lórien since travel became more dangerous. Even Aria and Legolas spent more time in Mirkwood and did not travel as much in between the two Elvish realms as much as they would like to.

Eventually when Aria's visions about troubles in Rohan became too much for her, she sought out Gandalf. She warned the Istari that his friend and so-called leader of his order was plotting against him and was already exerting his control over King Théoden of Rohan.

Despite her warnings, she felt that it had only fallen on deaf ears. Gandalf reassured her that it had not. But for the time being, they had bigger concerns to deal with than a rouge wizard.

* * *

"Search for the creature named Gollum and when you find him, deliver him to King Thranduil's Halls." Gandalf quickly said to Aragorn in a hushed whisper as the trio met in the shadows of Fargorn Forest. "Thranduil has agreed to keep him there until I can figure out what to do with him. Sauron is searching for him as well."

"What of the ring?" Aria asked.

"It's still where it has been. Safe and sound. That is if it is the ring."

It had been fifteen years since Bilbo Baggins had made his theatrical exit from the Shire using what Gandalf had thought was the Ring of Power. And since then, the Istari had made it his mission to find out all her could about how to destroy the One Ring and rid Middle Earth of its existence along with that of Sauron and the threat of Mordor. It was also during this time that he came to know of the true reason that the Princess of Mirkwood had been sent back by the Valar – to stop the spread of Sauron's power. Also since then, the One Ring had been hidden in the Shrine, unknown to the hobbit whose roof that it resided under. Gandalf felt that this was the best for now. But eventually he would have to come clean to Saurman about what he had found.

Even though Gandalf thought that he could trust Saurman since he was the leader of his order, he was a bit weary. He sensed that there was something amiss with him recently. That was why he had written much of what he had wanted to the twins to know down instead of telling it to them.

"Now we each know what we must do," Gandalf said as he turned his horse towards the direction of the Shire. "If anything changes, we send word. Especially you, Aragorn."

The twins nodded in agreement before the trio went their separate directions. Gandalf was heading back towards the Shire to make sure that Frodo and the ring were still there, while Aragorn was going on a search for the creature Gollum. As for Aria, she was to reinforce the defenses of Mirkwood. She had been taught protection enchantments by Galadriel that she would use on her Forest home. Hopefully she was strong enough to do it.

She quickly rode for about 20 miles north before she come upon where her husband was waiting fro her, towards the northern edge of Fangorn Forest. Legolas knew about her meeting with Aragorn and Gandalf – they had been having these "secret" meetings for a few years now. Aria always told him what had taken place. Typically he rode halfway with her then allowed her to travel the rest of the way on her own. But letting her get this close to Isengard, he wasn't taking any chances. Saurman had left Aria alone for over 40 years and Legolas had every intention on keeping it that way.

"Everything ok?" he asked as she rode up next to him on Argo.

"For now," she said with a smile. "Now let's get to Lórien. We've got a wedding to get to."

After so many years of courting, Haldir had finally proposed to Tauriel. And after a yearlong engagement, their wedding was to take place that weekend. Aria was happy for her friend, but she was going to miss having her in Mirkwood. Yet this would give her and Legolas all the more reason to travel to Lórien and out of Mirkwood from time to time. They could on occasion, travel south on the way to or from Rivendell to Mirkwood so that they could stop into Lórien. They would just have to see how things went over the next few years.

Especially with they way that things were going around Middle Earth. Even Legolas could feel that darkness building and seeping further and further out of Mordor. They both hoped that everything would work out in the end and that the darkness could be contained.

But even that idea was fleeting…

* * *

They silently stalked their target. They had tracked him here after several months of searching. They had fought through razor sharp rocks, dense forests and now into swamps to find him – all along the border of Mordor. They had found him finally near the Dead Marshes, near a band of orcs. They weren't going to let a band of orcs stop them from getting their target.

The twins quickly took out all the orcs, while Aragorn made a beeline for Gollum and snatched him up from in between the two downed orcs.

Gollum was quickly bound with rope before he and the trio set off for Mirkwood and the Halls of King Thranduil. He did manage to bite Aragorn once as he was bound.

As they rode, an uneasy feeling settled over Aragorn. He and the twins had been too close to Mordor. Had Gollum been in their enemies care?

* * *

"You three smell horrid! Do not touch me!" Aria said backing away from her brothers as they approached her as they walked with Legolas and Laurian up from the dungeons of Mirkwood.

"But we missed you so much sister! All we want is a hug!" Elrohir said as he opened up his arms as he moved towards Aria for a hug. Elladan did the same thing on the other side of her as the twins enclosed their sister in a hug.

"You two are as vile as orcs!" she squealed as she pushed them away. "Now I smell just as bad as you do!"

"No we still smell worse," Elladan said.

Someone clearing their throat drew everyone's attention. They all turned towards the entrance to the dungeon where Gandalf and King Thranduil now stood.

"The creature known as Gollum is now under our protection." Thranduil said. "Until we can best determine what should be done with him, Legolas it is up to you and your guards to protect him. Laurian that means you and your guards have more patrol detail in the woods."

"As for you," Gandalf said, turning towards Aragorn. "I need more protection for the Shire. That is where the One Ring is located. Until I can get more out of Gollum, especially what he has possibly told our enemies, I need you and the Rangers to protect the hobbits."

"Consider it done." Aragorn said

"Although you might want to take a bath before you leave. You smell like orcs!" Aria snickered as she turned and headed for her and Legolas' chambers. She needed another bath now thanks to her brothers.

* * *

Through questioning, Gandalf quickly learned that indeed Gollum had kept the One Ring for 500 years and that also he had recently been captive of Sauron. He had also given up the name of "Baggins" and "Shire". Deep down, he knew that he had to get back to the Shire and get Frodo to safety.

Leaving Gollum in the protection of Thranduil, he made haste to the Shire.

* * *

Frodo Baggins entered the quietness of Bag End, sensing that something was amiss. Suddenly from the shadows, something grabs him. Not knowing if his assailant was friend of foe, Frodo let out a startled cry as he turned around and was face to face with Gandalf. The old wizard had a look of paranoid on his face and his clothes were dirty and ragged.

"Is it secret? Is it safe?" the wizard asked in a hushed whisper.

Knowing exactly what Gandalf was talking about, Frodo went to a chest where he kept the ring that his Uncle Bilbo had left him. It was in the same envelope that Gandalf had sealed it in all those years ago – when he had told him to keep it safe, keep it hidden. Gandalf snatched the envelope from him and tossed it into the fireplace.

"What are you doing!?"

"Hold out your hand, Frodo," Gandalf said taking the ring out with a pair of tongs once the paper from the envelope had burned away. "It's quiet cool."

He dropped the ring into Frodo's hand. "What can you see? Can you see anything?"

"Nothing…there's nothing… wait…"

Slowly, fiery markings appeared all around the ring as an inscription glowed red around it. "It's some form of Elvish. I can't read it."

"There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here."

"Mordor?"

"In the common tongue, it says 'One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bind them all and in darkness bind them…"

After listening to the story about how Bilbo came upon the ring and how the Shire was now danger because of the creature Gollum, Frodo thrust the ring towards Gandalf and offered it to him. The Istari made the hobbit see that he could not take the ring because he would try to use it for good, but instead he would use it for evil.

So a plan was set instead.

Frodo would leave the Shire, taking the ring as far away as possible. He would meet up with Gandalf in Bree at the Inn of the Prancing Pony in a few days after Gandalf met with the head of his order.

But he wouldn't be going alone…

* * *

_Aragorn cried out in anger and frustration as he collapsed to his knees. Legolas stood next to him and gripped his shoulder in comfort, trying to ease some of his frustration – yet he had a look of sadness on his face. There were others as well, still blurry, all were feeling the same thing though – sadness. What had happened? Who had they lost? Had she failed?_

Aria sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. This was the fourth night that she had this same dream. She turned over onto the side of the bed where Legolas' body usually lay and she nestled with his pillow, inhaling his scent. She knew that her husband was safe – she could feel him through their bond. But he had been gone for the last five days.

Because of stupid orcs and that damned creature Gollum. Some of Legolas' guards had allowed Gollum to climb up in a certain tree that stood alone in the woods. But during that day, Gollum decided not to come down and the guards did not climb up after him. So instead they had waited during the night. And it was during the night that the orcs came down from the mountains and attacked the guards. All the guards were either slain or taken, while Gollum was gone. Immediately Legolas, his other guards along with Laurian and his guards all went on a search for the creature.

That was five days ago.

She sighed as she allowed sleep to take back over her. All she wanted was for her husband to come home. She needed to tell him about her dream…

* * *

A gentle movement of her hair from her shoulder along with a soft kiss along her neck slowly awoke Aria the next morning.

"Good morning, meleth nin," a soft voice whispered close to her ear.

She turned her head and smiled up at Legolas, who was lying across her side of the bed since she had moved to his side after her dream the night before. He leaned down and softly kissed her lips. "I missed you."

"As did I," she said sitting up as she curled against his warm body. "Any luck?"

"Got a few orcs. But we lost Gollum's trail near Dol Guldur. That place is still very evil. We did not dare go near it."

"I understand."

"But will your ada?"

"What do you mean?"

"Father is sending me and Laurian to Imladris to explain what has happened."

"I'm going with you then."

"We leave this afternoon after a short rest for Laurian and I."

Aria nodded.

* * *

Frodo and Sam had been joined on their quest by Pippin and Merry – much by accident – but Frodo was actually happy with the extra company. In a few days time they had arrived in Bree and checked into the Inn of the Prancing Pony under the guise of Mr. Underhill, remembering the warning that Gandalf had told him about leaving the name of Baggins behind.

That was when they were told that Gandalf had not been seen there in over six months. Not knowing what to do, the group stayed in the inn that night and drank. During their time drinking, Frodo hears Pippin talking to some strangers about him – using his real last name. he rushes over to him, trying to grab for him but instead he stumbles backwards, falls towards the floor as the ring slips onto his finger and he VANISHES!

* * *

In the countryside, the Ringwraiths turn their sights towards Bree and make haste towards their ultimate goal that their master had sent them on.

* * *

Frodo managed to pull the ring off his finger as he slid under a table, terrified. That was when a large hand grabbed him and pushed him against a nearby wall. "You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. Underhill," breathed the mysterious ranger that the innkeeper had said was named Strider.

He didn't say anything as Strider pushed him up the stairs into the hobbit's room and Strider slammed the door shut.

"What do you want?" Frodo asked.

"A little more caution from you. That is no trinket you carry."

"I carry nothing."

Strider quickly extinguished all the candles in the room with his finger tips before pulling back the hood of his cloak. Frodo saw that Strider was little more than a human male with dark brown hair that was shoulder length with facial hair. "Indeed? I can usually avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely…that is a rare gift," the ranger said.

"Who are you?"

"Are you frightened?"

"Yes."

"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you."

Frodo jumps at a sound coming from the hallway as Strider draws his swords. The door bursts open as Sam, Pippin and Merry all storm into the room. Sam is holding up his fists, Merry is holding a candlestick and Pippin has a chair.

"Let him go or I'll have you, Longshanks!" Sam said.

"You have a stout heart, little hobbit, but that alone won't save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They're coming." Strider said as he sheathed his sword with a smile on his face.

* * *

_AN: For those who do not know, from the time that Bilbo leaves the Shire to when Fordo leaves with Sam is actually 17 years….it describes this in the book but not in the movie. So at this point, I'm going by the book verse more than the movie. Just wanted to make that clear to everyone! =)_

_Also when Legolas, Laurian and Aria left Mirkwood, they did not know about the council being called. But they will find out on their journey. _

_An so it begins…_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine…everything else is Tolkien's!**** So if you want to read the smutty version of this chapter, read the story: "Reflections: The Alternative Chapters"**  
_

* * *

_**Chapter 30:**_

She rode as fast and hard as she could. When Lady Galadriel had given her a small package and sent her on her way, she had no idea how or why she had to go. All she knew was that she had to. Even her husband understood that she had to leave – it was the will of the Lady of Lórien.

'_Remember, give Elin this when the time is right,_' Galadriel had told her as she handed her the small wrapped parcel.

'_How will I know?'_

'_You will know. We all have a role to play. Your role is to help her…'_

Tauriel thought back to what she had also been told to tell Legolas and his brother. Lord Elrond had called a council of all free peoples of Middle Earth. Dark deeds were happening. She could feel it. Even the elves of Lórien were nervous. Haldir spent more time out on duty it seemed as of late. And it worried her. She was not used to being the one that was worried. She was used to being out in the field of battle or on patrol. Haldir knew that she was more than capable of handling herself in any situation, but his argument for not letting her join the guards of Lórien was that he did not want to have to worry.

But she was left to worry instead.

Perhaps that was why Lady Galadriel had sent her on this quest to meet up with the group traveling from Mirkwood. To prove that she could handle herself in any situation.

Within days she had caught up to the group just as they were going to cross the Misty Mountains. Aria was beyond thrilled to see her friend, while Legolas and Laurian were not thrilled by the prospect of having to represent Mirkwood at an entire meeting of all free peoples of Middle Earth.

"Something troubles you," Tauriel asked as she rode towards the back of the group with Aria as they small group from Mirkwood, which also included 3 other guards, made their way over the Misty Mountains.

"It's just that everything that I've dreaded since for the last 70 years is coming true…" Aria softly answered as Legolas looked back at the two friends who rode behind him.

"If you were sent back by Manwë, himself, then you know that if Legolas gets into a situation, then he won't go down without a fight."

Aria smiled. She knew that her friend was right. She just hoped that her visions were wrong – for once.

* * *

"Where am I?" a frightened voice asked while trying to keep his eyes firmly shut to the light that was threating to pour in.

"You are in the House of Elrond. And it is 10 o'clock in the morning on October the 24th, if you really want to know," answered a familiar voice.

Frodo slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was laying in a soft bed next to an open window with warm sunlight pouring into his room. Outside he could see tall fir trees and he could hear waterfalls in the distance. Finally his eyes settled on who was sitting next to his bed.

"Gandalf!"

"Yes I am here and you're lucky to be here too. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid. You have some strength in you my dear hobbit…"

"What happened Gandalf? Why didn't you meet us?"

"I'm sorry Frodo…I was delayed."

Gandalf's mind drifts off to all that had taken place between him and Saruman – from discovering how deep the White Wizard's betrayal actually was to his quest for the One Ring to building an army of his own. How could have he been so blind? But there was one who had not been.

"Gandalf! What is it?" Frodo asked bringing Gandalf's mind back to the present.

"Nothing Frodo," he said as Sam rushes into the room and greets his friend.

"Frodo! Frodo! Bless you, you're awake!" he said with enthusiasm.

"Sam has hardly left your bedside."

"We were worried about you. Weren't were, Mr. Gandalf?"

"By the skills of Lord Elrond, you are beginning to mend," Gandalf said as Frodo took notice of an elf who moved towards his bed. Frodo notices that his face is neither old nor young, yet it seems to have known much happiness and sorrow in his life.

"Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins." Elrond says. "You have found your way to the last homely house east of the sea. The elves of Imladris have dwelt within this valley for three thousand years, though few of my kin remain."

Elrond check how Frodo's wound was healing from the Witch King's Blade before allowing him to get dressed and move around Rivendell with either Sam or Gandalf. Elrond also knew that Bilbo would want to see his nephew as well.

* * *

Aria quickly took notice of the delegation of men and dwarves that were already in Imladris when she and the others arrived towards nightfall. Many of the elves of Rivendell were escorting the arrivals to their chambers.

She quickly dismounted Argo and handed the reins to Legolas who stood by Argo, waiting to see if Aria needed help. She didn't care if there was a visit from Eru Ilúvatar going on, she was going to do what she always did whenever she arrived in Imladris. And that was seeing her ada.

"I'll see you in our suite in a little while?" Legolas asked stealing a kiss from her.

"Of course."

She turned and headed for the stairs to the main part of the Rivendell complex. As she passed by Erestor, the dark haired councilor told her that her ada was, as usual, in his library. She smiled at him and told him thanks.

* * *

Lord Elrond and Gandalf watched from a high balcony as Frodo was reunited with his friends as well as his uncle Bilbo.

"His strength returns." Elrond said turning always and moving back into his library.

"That wound will never fully heal. He will carry it the rest of his life." Gandalf said

"And yet to have come so far still bearing the Ring. The hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to its evil."

"It is a burden he should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of Frodo."

"Gandalf, the enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are massing in the east. His eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saurman, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin."

"His treachery runs deeper than you know. By foul craft, Saruman has crossed Orc with Goblin Men. He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight and cover great distance at speed. Saurman is coming for the ring."

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard. Gandalf, the ring cannot stay here. This peril belongs to all Middle Earth. They must decide how to end it. Not just for themselves but for those who come after. The time of the Elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we are gone? The dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches. They care nothing for the troubles of others."

"It is in men then that we place our hope."

"Men? Men are weak. The race of men is failing. The blood of Numenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of men the Ring survives. I was there Gandalf…I was there 3,000 years ago when Isildur took the ring. I was there the day the strength of men failed. It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure. Isildur kept the Ring and the line of Kings was broken. There is no strength left in the world of Men. They're scattered, divided and leaderless."

"There is one who could unite them. One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor."

"He turned from that path a long time ago. He has chosen exile…"

There was a soft knocking at the door to the library. The Istari and the Elf Lord stopped their conversation as the door opened. A most welcomed sight for Elrond came into the room.

"Ada," Aria said with a smile on her face. "I hope that I am not interrupting anything important."

"Of course not, iell nin," he said moving to embrace her. "I've missed you."

"As have I. I just wanted to tell you that I was home. I will see you at dinner tonight.," she said turning to leave. But Gandalf stopped her.

"Aria wait."

She stopped and turned to look at the Istari with a puzzled look on her face. "I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry for not taking your warnings about Saurman with more urgency. We all now known just how deep his deceit goes."

"Its understandable especially when you want to believe that someone who know for so long can do no wrong. Yet I am tired from the journey. So I will see you both at dinner tonight."

Aria turned and walked out of the library, gently shutting the door behind her.

* * *

She gently traced the side of Legolas' sleeping face with the tip of her finger before running them through his hair, careful to avoid his warrior braids that had been there for the last few months. She preferred it when her husband did not have the braids in. But they were a sign of respect among the Woodland Realm elves, so she kept her feelings to herself.

The longer she watched him sleep the more she began to dread what would happen tomorrow. She knew that the council that had been called would be discussion what should be done with the One Ring. And while she could not attend the meeting – since it might upset some of the attendees with a woman present, as her ada had said – she would be able to observe the proceedings from her ada's library. He knew that she was just as much a part of this as every one else was.

She only hoped that neither her brother nor her husband would be dragged into this mess. Yet something inside of her was telling her otherwise.

* * *

Aria stood in the shadows of the library and watched the meeting that was taking place below her. She watched in awe as the One Ring was brought out and placed on the stone plinth by the hobbit named Frodo Baggins. She had taken a liking to this hobbit the night before during the songs in the Hall of Fire. He and his companions were all very nice.

Almost immediately as the ring was set down, the man from Gondor – Boromir stood up and launched into a speech about a dream that he had about the eastern sky growing dark with light coming from the west and a voice saying the Isildur's bane had been found.

'_He only wants the ring for himself,' _Aria thought to herself as she watched him reach for the ring.

As on cue, Elrond stood up and yelled at him just as Gandalf stood up and began to say something in a foreign tounge. "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."

As Aria heard the words that the Istari was saying, she stumbled backwards and clutched at her chest. What was this pain that she was feeling? Was this pure evil?

* * *

Down below, Legolas clutched his eyes shut for a moment. He felt pain. Was it Aria? He knew that she was up in her ada's library, watching what was taking place. Were these words hurting her? But as soon as the pain surged through him, it was gone.

"Never before has any voice uttered those words here, in Imladris," Elrond said turning to Gandalf as the darkness that was once around the dais dissipated.

"I do not ask your forgiveness Lord Elrond," Gandalf said as he approached Boromir, walking him back – forcing him to sit down. "But may the black speech of Mordor be heard in every corner of the West. The ring is all together evil."

* * *

_'That was it then,'_ Aria thought regaining her composure as she moved back to her watching location. _'That was the black speech of Mordor_.'

She turned her attention back to what was going on below. Once again, Boromir was trying to get his way. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

"You cannot wield it. No of us can. The one ring answers to Sauron alone…it has no other master," Aragorn said as Boromir turned to look at him.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

'_More than you would…' _Aria thought to herself as she continued to watch. But what happened next, shocked her. As Boromir turned away from Aragorn, Legolas stood up to confront the man from Gondor. "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You own him your allegiance."

Aria smiled as she watched her husband defend not only her brother, but also her father's memory as well.

"Aragorn?" Boromir asked in disbelief as he turned back to look at Aragorn. "This is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas added.

"Havo dad, Legolas," Aragorn softly said. Aria smiled to herself. She could feel the tension that was coursing through her husband. She knew that he didn't trust this man from Gondor and he would do anything to make sure that both herself and Aragorn were both put into their rightful positions instead of his father, the Steward of Gondor.

"Gondor had no king. Gondor needs no king." Boromir finally said as he went and sat down. Legolas sat down as well.

"Aragorn is right," Gandalf said. "We can not use it."

"You have only one choice, the ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli the dwarf said as he stood up and tried to smash the ring with his axe, which resulted in him being thrown backwards and leaving the ring unharmed. At the same time both Frodo and Aria winced from the blow to the ring. Frodo's wince was from an angry image of a fiery eye that came towards him and Arai's wince up in the library was from the evil that seemed to be emitted from it.

Continuing on, Elrond finished his speech. "The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mt. Doom and only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."

Aria's heart raced as she heard the words her ada said. Someone was going to have to take the ring into Mordor…this was her worst nightmare coming true.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is an evil there that does not sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust…the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly." Boromir said with an air of stress in his voice. Aria couldn't help but roll her eyes. This man from Gondor was full of himself.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas said, suddenly standing up once again to confront the man. Obviously her husband either felt the same way about him or was sensing her feelings through their bond. "The ring must be destroyed."

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli asked in a harsh tone of voice towards Legolas.

Oh this wasn't good. Elrond and the Imladris elves might get along with the dwarves, but Aria knew that the Woodland Elves and the dwarves – especially those from Erebor – did not get along.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir asked as he got to his feet.

This definitely wasn't going good.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli said as he leapt to his feet. Laurian and one of the guards that were with Legolas jumped to their feet as well. All around the dais, men, elves and dwarves were in each other's faces, arguing about the fate of the One Ring. Aria watched, as the only ones with any common sense were her ada, Erestor and Aragorn. Even Glorfindel and the twins were arguing about the fate of the ring with others. She could hear bits and pieces of some of the arguments. Gimli had shouted something about never trusting an elf, while Gandalf was trying to calm everyone down by saying that Sauron's power grows as they bicker.

If they only knew…

Manwë had shown her what would happen if Sauron's power grew too much. She had never told anyone of this. It was far too devastating.

There had to be someone who would take up the cause. Someone with a righteous heart…someone who wasn't her husband because she knew he was thinking about giving in and offering to take it on his own.

"I will take it…I will take it…I will take the Ring to Mordor," came a voice from the dais.

Aria's eyes went wide as she stared in disbelief. The hobbit had volunteered. Amazing.

"Though I do not know the way," he said finishing.

Gandalf approached him. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

Then Aria watched in horror as her brother stepped forward. "If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will," Aragorn said kneeling before the hobbit. "You have my sword."

'_I'm sorry, meleth nin. I must do this,'_ she heard through their bond as her eyes went wide as Legolas stepped forward. "And you have my bow…"

She couldn't watch any more. She ran from the library as tears flowed down her cheeks. This was quite possibly the worst day of her life.

* * *

Legolas knew that Aria was upset as he made his way back to their suite. He also knew that she had witnessed the entire ordeal from the library. He knew why he had volunteered for the Fellowship – ridding Middle Earth of Sauron was important. He would never tell Aria this, because he knew that she would deny it, but he had seen how the darkness from Mordor affected her. There were days that she did not seem like herself – those were the days that even he could feel the evil spreading.

He knew that she had been sent back to guide those who sought to destroy Sauron. She might say that it was solely up to her. But he knew better. She could not and he would not let her do this on her own. She was his life, his to protect. And that was what he was doing. He was protecting his wife by volunteering to go to Mordor and destroy this One Ring. But he would never admit this to her. He would tell her after it was all said and done.

Then perhaps they could finally get on with their lives.

He took a deep breath as he opened the door to their suite. "Aria?" he called out as he removed his cloak. He heard sniffles coming from their bedroom. He walked into their room and found Aria lying on the bed, curled up with a pillow, sobbing. He sat down next to her and gently rubbed her back.

"Why you?" she whispered, turning to look at him.

"Who else besides me? Laurian cannot because he is the Crown Prince. Glorfindel is too well known. I am not. Who else is there?"

Aria looked up at her husband as tears spilled out of her eyes once again. Legolas was quick to kiss them away as he pulled his wife into his arms. "I know that it feels that your visions are all coming true," he whispered into her ear. She nodded against his shoulder.

"But do you remember the vow I made to you on the day of our first kiss? The day I told you that I loved you for the first time?"

Aria lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him with red eyes from crying. "That you would always fight to get back to me."

"And I always will," he said gently running his hand along the side of her face, wiping any trace of tears away. Legolas pulled her closer to him as he kissed her deeply on the lips and poured all his feelings, emotions and desire for her into that one single kiss. He felt Aria's breath catch then felt her melt into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around him and let her fingers begin weave themselves into his long hair.

This kiss was just the start of things...

The rest of the afternoon was spent taking things slow and easy - since neither of them knew just how long they would be apart for.

"I promise you Aria, I will return – no matter what you've seen in your visions," Legolas said as he moved to lie next to his wife on their bed later that afternoon. He pulled up a blanket around their bodies as he pulled her tight to him. "I have too much ahead of me to loose it all on the journey."

She looked at him with a questioning look on her face. He simply smiled.

"A family, meleth nin. The one that you and I are going to have."

She smiled as she kissed her husband deeply on the lips before settling into his warm embrace. Deep in her heart she hoped that he was right. She knew that she wasn't going to go on the journey with him, but that didn't mean that she had to just sit idly by and let others do the work that Manwë had sent her back to do for her.

Honestly, she couldn't wait for this entire thing to be over with. She really wanted a family with Legolas.

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a blur. Legolas was kept busy with preparations for the journey, while Aria took time to meet with each of the members of the Fellowship one on one that she did not know. Erestor aided her since some of the members might not take too kindly to being asked questions by a woman. She found that the hobbits were all enjoyable, especially Merry and Pippin. While on the other hand, Sam seemed more reserved. Perhaps that would be a good thing. Frodo on the other hand was both nervous and just wanting to be done with it all.

"Here's my advice to you," Aria said kneeling before the hobbit. "Take heed of your fears, but do not let them control you. I can see that this is your destiny. We all have our roles to play and this is yours."

"Will I be successful?"

"That is up to you."

She gently kissed his cheek before standing back up. He smiled at her as he left the room.

"Do you take your own advice?" Erestor asked from the corner.

"I try. Especially since Manwë sent me back. But you and I both know how hard that can be."

"That I do."

Her meetings with Gimli and Boromir were less joyful. Both of them did not take too kindly to being asked questions by a woman. And Gimli did not like the fact that he was being asked questions by an elf nonetheless! She quickly reminded him that if it had not been for the Battle of the Five Armies then Erebor might not be back in dwarf hands. He calmed down after that.

Boromir simply ranted about how the ring should have gone to Gondor and not being thrown back into Mt. Doom and how Aragorn was not fit to be king along with this and that. Finally after being fed up with his nonsense, Aria cut him off.

"Do you realize who I am?" she said.

"No. Should I?"

"Arathorn did not only have one child, he had twins. I am Aragorn's twin sister. And whether you like it or not, Boromir, son of Denethor, Aragorn will most likely be king. That you cannot stop. It is already determined and it is only a matter of time before it happens."

Boromir did not know what to say. He glanced over at the raven-haired council who stood silently next to Aria. "She does not lie," was all that Erestor said.

Aria stood up from the table she was sitting at and walked around it. She leaned close to Boromir's ear. "All I ask of you is that you do not let your greed and lust over take you on this journey," she whispered in his ear before standing back up and leaving the room.

She sighed once she was out of the room. That man infuriated her and she did not really trust him. She already knew that Legolas did not trust him at all – he trusted the dwarf more! They had spent many hours discussing the journey as they lay together during walks or in their bed.

As she walked towards the gardens, she began to feel a bit lightheaded. Perhaps she would find her ada instead and ask for some herbal tea then head to the gardens to meet Legolas in a while after he was done with training for the afternoon. Glorfindel insisted that Legolas continue to train with him even though he was going to be going on the Fellowship. So every afternoon, Legolas, the twins and Aragorn all were working out with Glorfindel and his guards. On occasion she had seen Boromir join them, but not often.

She walked into the Halls of Healing and found her ada looking over so fresh herbs that he had just received from Lindir. He took one look at Aria and was immediately by her side. He had seen a look like Aria had on her face before – at least twice before – on his wife many years ago.

"What?" she asked frantically.

"Have you been feeling well, iell nin?" he asked moving her towards a bed.

"Not really. Why?"

Elrond gently began to run his hands over Aria's neck and arms before settling over her stomach. He gently poked a little as a smile slowly spread across his face. He had been right. He gently placed a hand against the side of her face. "You're pregnant, iell nin. I would say about a month along."

Aria thought back over the last few weeks. She and Legolas had made love almost every night since the council meeting. But if she were about a month or so along that would mean that it was the day of the council meeting. It had to be. That was when they were promising each other the future and the beginnings of a family. Tears weld up in Aria's eyes as she leaned against her ada and sobbed. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't tell Legolas! He has to go with the fellowship. I can't have him worrying about me and the baby while he is gone!"

"Shh," Elrond said. "You are right. His focus needs to be on the Fellowship. So what will you do while he is away?"

"We both decided that I will stay here. He does not want me traveling without him back to Mirkwood. Imladris is far safer and better protected than Mirkwood. And now with this little one on the way, I rather be close to you."

"Then make sure you rest enough so that you do no grow weary. Your body should not change that much over the next month so that Legolas discovers that you are pregnant. At least this time there is no morning sickness."

"Thankfully."

Elrond gently kissed her forehead as he stood up to make her some herbal tea. She gracious accepted the cup and sipped the tea. As she lay on the bed in the Halls of Healing, she couldn't help but close her eyes and imagine the future.

Finally a family with Legolas.

A smile crossed her face as she ran a hand along her stomach. She desperately wanted to share this news with her husband, but she knew that she could not. There was too much at stake. So for now she would hide it. She had hidden her feelings from him in the past – sometimes for several years. She knew that she could keep this from him.

And while Legolas was out ridding Middle Earth of the One Ring, she knew that she would not just sit by and watch. She might have told her ada that she was staying in Rivendell, but that was only temporary. She had another idea in mind.

* * *

"You are insane! Your Ada will never let you do that!" Tauriel hissed a few weeks later.

"He doesn't have to know. Laurian agrees with me and so does Glorfindel. They both will cover for me. They know that this is the right thing to do. It's not like I'm actually going into battle or even taking the ring to Mordor. I'm simply going village to village and aiding those who need a healer. Thus giving both Rohan and Gondor more soldiers to fight. That is where the most help is needed," Aria said as she brushed down Argo's coat.

"Then why are you telling me?"

"I want you to go with me."

"Excuse me?"

"Who else can I trust by my side?" Aria said looking at her friend. "The twins ride with the Rangers. Legolas and Aragorn leave with the Fellowship in a few days. Laurian must return home to help defend the woods. If Glorfindel were to leave Rivendell, then Sauron would know something was amiss. You are all that is left. I know that you do not wish to be parted from Haldir any longer, but please."

Tauriel sighed. "Before I left Lórien, Lady Galadriel spoke with me. She told me that my role in all of this was to aid you. It seems like this is what she meant."

Aria smiled and moved towards her friend to embrace her, yet stumbled a little. Tauriel was quick to catch her and helped her stand. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Aria said, pointing to a chair. "Help me over there please."

Tauriel did as she was asked and gently eased Aria into a nearby chair just outside Argo's stall in the stable. She watched as Aria took a deep breath then leaned back against the coolness of the stonewalls. "You are not ok. Let me get your ada." Tauriel said turning to leave.

"No!"

Tauriel turned back to look at Aria thanks to the forcefulness in her tone of voice. She waited for an explanation.

"Ada already knows." Aria softly said.

"And?"

Aria looked up at her friend and smiled as a hand gently caressed her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

Tauriel's face lit up as she embraced her friend. "How did Legolas take the news?"

"I haven't told him."

"You are aren't you?"

Aria shook her head no. "He needs to focus on the journey at hand. I do not want him to worry about me when he needs to be worrying about getting that Ring to Mordor and destroyed!"

"What did your ada say?"

"He actually agreed with me."

"But then why are you still going to go on this quest of your own?"

"Because I must."

"Then all the more reason for me to go with you. If not to protect you. Then protect your little one."

"Little ones." Aria said correcting her. "Twins. I've felt both of their lights within me just this morning, even though they are still so small. I stay connected to them to block their existence from Legolas."

"Let's hope for everyone's sake that this journey of his goes quickly."

"I couldn't agree more."

* * *

Legolas held his wife close to him on the divan as they sat on the balcony. It was the last night that they would be together before the Fellowship departed the next morning. He watched as the moonlight gently played across her skin as she slightly glowed with the light of Eldar, just as he did.

He gently nuzzled her neck as he placed a gentle kiss upon it. "Something troubles you, Aria."

"I do not want you to go."

"I know meleth nin. Nor do I want to. But this must be done."

"I know."

"And I promise to protect your brother."

"He said that he promised to protect you and bring my elf home safe and sound to me earlier today."

Legolas smiled. "But most of all I promise that I was always find my way back to you."

Aria returned his smile as she pulled him down for a kiss, which wasn't the last of the night. The rest of the night was spent with long kisses, gentle promises of the future and passion that neither of them could refuse.

Morning came much too soon for either of their liking.

* * *

"The ring bearer is setting off on a quest for Mt. Doom. And you who travel with him, no oath or bond is laid to travel with further than you will. Farewell and hold to your purpose. May the blessings of elves, men and free folk go with you." Lord Elrond said, as the Fellowship stood ready to leave.

Behind Elrond stood several elves from Rivendell. Among them were both Aria and Arwen.

"The Fellowship awaits the ring bearer." Gandalf said.

Frodo turned and began to walk out of the gate. "Mordor Gandalf is it left or right?" he quickly whispered, not knowing which was to go.

"Left."

Aria stood by and watched as the Fellowship departed. As Legolas turned to leave, he glanced one last time at his wife. _"I love you, meleth nin,"_ he whispered through their bond.

"_I love you too," _she answered with a soft smile towards him. And with that he was gone.

Aragorn, who was one of the last to leave, turn back to look at Arwen as he set off. Even Aria knew of the sadness that both of them were feeling. Her ada wanted Arwen to travel to the Undying Lands while Arwen wanted to stay for Aragorn. And Aragorn being hard headed as he was, told Arwen to leave as ada wanted. But Aria knew better.

Arwen had told her that she would never go to the Undying Lands.

No matter what.

Aria couldn't blame her. There had been a time, long ago, that she and Legolas had to worry about something similar. But for them things changed. Aria knew that she would be able to travel to the Undying Lands whenever she and Legolas wanted to do so.

As the elves in the courtyard turned and filtered back into their daily lives, Aria turned and headed towards her very empty and very cold suite. She picked up the soft brown cloak that Legolas had left behind and wrapped it around her as she moved to sit out on the balcony.

She brought her knees up to her chest and inhaled her husband's scent from his cloak – the forest and cinnamon. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Your ada will return to us, safe and sound. I know it," she whispered as she gently ran a hand along her stomach as she sat on the divan and watched the day pass her by.

* * *

_**AN:**__** WHEW! That was like 2 to 3 chapters in one! I just kept on typing and I couldn't stop! So what did you think? Was it worth it? And I promise that Aria will never be a walker! Though that doesn't mean she doesn't cross their paths at some point! And yes, I didn't forget about the package that Lady Galadriel sent for Aria….Tauriel gives it to her next chapter =)  
Oh yeah! In the books, there is a 2 month time period between the Council of Elrond and the Fellowship leaving. So I used that here in this chapter...just a little note for you!  
**_

_**Meanings: Seas….Aníron le - Please…I want you**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine, everything else belongs to Tolkien!**_

_**Guess what! We're over 200 reviews! YAYAYA! ForbiddenShadow0 was the 200**__**th**__** reviewer! Also thanks to Moviegirl46, Shadow Realm Triforce, Narnia and Harry Potter 4 Ever, beauty0102, SleepyHollow 5, NewSlove for always reviewing each chapter along with everyone else! I'll get the ones I missed next chapter! Love to all! Keep the reviews coming. They make me write faster.**_

* * *

**Chapter 31:**

_Ada,_

_I knew that if I told you of my plans before now, you would try and stop me. Even part of me thinks that you knew all along that I would never stay in Imladris while Legolas and Aragorn were out with the Fellowship making their way towards Mordor. _

_I'm sorry that you had to find out like this. Even Glorfindel tried at first to talk me out of going, but in the end gave up because he knew that I would never listen. _

_Do not worry. I am not traveling alone. Tauriel agreed to accompany me. It seems that Lady Galadriel foresaw all of this and sent Tauriel to make sure that I wouldn't be alone. We both left armed and well supplied. I will make you this promise. I will not go anywhere near Mordor. All I am simply doing is going from village to village and aiding those who need a healer. I have taken enough herbs to aid me as well as the mixture for the tea that eases my stomach. _

_I will see you soon. _

_~ Aria_

Elrond set the letter down and sighed. He knew that Aria would not stay in Imladris, yet he had wished that she had told him of her plan, instead of finding a note that told him she had stole a way during the night. He would have sent the twins with her.

At least Tauriel was with her. Hopefully that would be enough. He already knew that she was worried about how the Fellowship was doing. The last month had been stressful for her. She had talked to him daily about different visions she was having to various feelings – from the way that Aria had been describing them to him, she was feeling and seeing glimpses of what the Fellowship was going through.

Hopefully she would keep to her promise about not going anywhere near Mordor.

* * *

"So are you wearing it?" Tauriel asked as she and Aria traveled south through Dunland towards the Gap of Rohan.

Aria smiled as she unbuttoned part of her tunic that she was wearing to reveal the mithril shirt that Lady Galadriel had sent with Tauriel. She had given it to Aria shortly after the princess had revealed to her friend both her plan to leave Imladris and that she was pregnant. Aria could only smile and shake her head in wonder – nothing ever got past the Lady of Lórien.

Hopefully everything would turn out for the best.

As the duo rode on, the only thing they seemed to come across was an pack of orcs here and there – which they were quick to get rid of. Once the orcs had been killed, Tauriel took care of the burning of their bodies since the smell made Aria's stomach upset. Things continued like this for the several days. Sometimes they would come upon a small village that was in need or a healer for something such as helping a woman deliver a baby or something similar to that. Aria had no problem helping in that case.

But as the days dragged on, she hoped that this entire idea had not been in vain.

* * *

_A soft glow filled her heart and mind as well as a gentle caress. She knew this place – she knew it well. She had gone here often as a child. Here she was treated as one of their own…one of their grandchildren…_

Aria inhaled as the vision left her. She and Tauriel were setting up their camp for the night. Tauriel had begun to build a fire while Aria was resting against an tree.

"What did you see?" Tauriel quickly asked, knowing that Aria had just had a vision.

"They are in Lórien, resting for now. I think they've been there a few days."

"Good. At least they are safe for now."

"For now," Aria said with a smile on her face as she gently ran her hand along the small bump that had formed on her belly. She knew that everything for both her and Tauriel would soon change as soon as they entered Rohan. Not only that, she also could feel a strain happening within the Fellowship through the feelings and glimpses that she would get every so often though her connection with Legolas. She only hoped that this was not the case.

'_Sleep my little stars, your ada is safe for now…'_ Aria thought to herself as she gently continued to run her hand along her small baby bump.

* * *

Legolas settled down as he listened to the song that the Lórien elves sang in memory of Gandalf. He knew that he should get some rest, for he had very little in the last few weeks. But this was the first time that he could truly relax and think about other things then just the Fellowship.

He sighed as he rested against one the Mallorn trees and felt for his wife's warm presence through their connection. Due to their distance apart, it wasn't very strong, yet he could feel her. A small smile crept along his face. There wasn't a day that went by during this entire Fellowship that he did not long to hold her. Yet he knew that this entire journey was just as important.

As he continued to wrap himself in his wife's warm presence, he felt something else. Something – no there were two of them – glowing softly with Aria's fëa. He had felt something similar to this before…something long ago.

'_Sleep my little stars, your ada is safe for now…' _he heard Aria whisper.

Legolas sat up trying to digest what he just heard. Was Aria pregnant? Was he really going to be a father? Were they finally going to have the family they both longed for but denied themselves for so long because of the darkness that was invading Middle Earth?

Nearby Aragorn saw his friend's sudden reaction to something. "What is it Legolas?" he asked worriedly.

Legolas turned and looked at the man he had grown to consider a brother. "Did Aria tell you anything before we left Imladris?"

Aragorn sighed and set down the pipe he had been smoking. He slowly nodded yes.

"What was it?" Legolas asked. "What did she tell you?"

"She only told me so that I would make sure that you would make it back to her, please remember that."

"What was it!"

"She's pregnant."

A smile spread across Legolas' face as he realized what he had felt from Aria wasn't his imagination. He had felt his child…no wait. Aria had said stars. Were they going to have twins? He couldn't believe that she would keep something like this from him. "Do you know why she did not tell me?" he then asked.

"She knew that this journey was important to all of Middle Earth. She wanted you to focus on this journey and not worry about her. Besides she is in Imladris with ada. She will be fine. Now rest. We still have a long ways to go until Mordor."

Legolas lay back down with only thoughts of the future running through his mind. He didn't care that Aria had kept this from him. He could understand her reasoning. But even now, he had more reason to get that damn ring to Mordor.

* * *

The lands of Rohan were far different than Dunland. Aria could feel that darkness, especially as they past so close to Isengard. Quickly they came upon settlements that needed their help. And from talking to the residents, they had been attacked by both men of the east and Uruk-hai. Aria knew exactly who caused this pain and suffering.

It was not Sauron.

It was Saurman.

As they were leaving a small settlement late one afternoon, they were stopped by several men on horseback wearing armor.

"What business do two elves have in Rohan?" one of the riders demanded to know before Aria and Tauriel could get back onto their horses.

"Aid those who are sick and wounded." Aria said stepping towards the man on horseback. "So that you may continue your fight against the White Wizard."

"Then you need to come with us to Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. Our prince has fallen and there isn't much time for him left."

* * *

**AN**_**: So this chapter wasn't as long as the last but something important happened! Legolas found out he's gonna be a daddy! =) Oh yeah a fëa is the elvish word for soul.  
**_

_**I dunno how often I can update during the weeks for the next little while - lots going on at work. But I shall try! It might be a few days in between updates, but I will update!**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Disclaimer: Only Aria is mine….everything else belongs to Tolkien!**_

_**Chapter 32:**_

Aria sat back and sighed and she tiredly rubbed her eyes. She had been at this for two days. She turned and wearily looked at Tauriel and the other elf knew that there wasn't anything else that Aria could do for the Rohan prince. Aria stood up from the prince's bedside and turned to face his cousins – Éowyn and Éomer. "There is little else I can do for him," Aria softly said. "His fëa does not want to be bound to Middle Earth any longer. Nor is there anything binding him here. All I can do is help ease his passing."

The siblings looked at each other knowing that it was time to talk to their uncle. "Please help ease him into the waiting arms of Mandos," Éowyn softly said as she and her brother left the room.

Aria nodded as she went back to attending to the Rohan prince, Théodred.

Together the siblings walked into the main hall. Their uncle, Théoden, King of Rohan, sat motionless on his throne. He was aged, well beyond his years.

"Your son is badly wounded, my lord," Éowyn softly said as she knelt next to her uncle's throne. The old king mad no motion towards her.

"He was ambushed by orcs. If we don't do defend out country, Saruman will take it by force." Éomer added standing behind his sister as she slowly got up and moved back so that her brother could talk.

"That is a lie!" Gríma said appearing from the shadows. Neither of the cousins trusted their uncle's "so-called" advisor. "Saurman the White has ever been out friend and ally."

"Gríma… Gríma… " the King feebly mumbles as his advisor leans close. "My son…? Gríma…?"

"Orc are roaming freely across our lands. Unchecked. Unchallenged. Killing at will. Orcs bearing the white hand of Saurman." Éomer said as he dropped an orc helmet on to the ground, revealing the white hand of Saurman.

"Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see? Your uncle is wearied by your malcontent, your war-mongering." Gríma said continuing on.

"War-mongering?"

Éomer grabbed a hold of Gríma and pinned him against a nearby pillar. "How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price, Gríma? When all the men are dead you will take your share of the treasure?"

Gríma's eyes flickered to the right as Éowyn walked past – heading back towards the room where Tauriel and Aria were. She stops briefly to stare at him before leaving. Quickly Gríma's head was jerked back around to face Éomer. "Too long have you watched my sister. Too long have you haunted her steps."

Out of nowhere, Éomer is pulled away from Gríma by some of the soldiers who are loyal to him. Éomer is punched in the stomach. "You see much Éomer, son of Éomund. Too much. You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan. Under pain of death!"

"You can not do that!"

"You I did not," Gríma said with a sly smile as he showed the parchment and decree to Éomer. "Your uncle signed it this morning."

Éomer fought as he was dragged out of the hall by the thugs of Gríma. From the shadowed hallway, Éowyn watched in horror. She quickly retreated into Théodred's room and shut the door. Tears spilled down her face.

"My lady," Tauriel gently said as she helped Éowyn to a chair. "What is wrong?"

"My brother has been banished for no reason. I am left here to defend my uncle on my own. I do not know who I can trust."

"I know that Tauriel does not seem like she can harm a fly," Aria said coming over to kneel next to Éowyn. "But if there is anyone outside of my family that I would want to protect me, it would be here. We will stay here and help you as long as you need us to."

Éowyn lifted her head and smiled gratefully. "I would appreciate that. And I know that there are others who need your help in the village."

"And I will attend to them. I just need a few days to recover after tending to your cousin. Traveling and healing has made me weary."

Éowyn nodded in agreement.

* * *

Across the plains of Rohan, the three hunters - as Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli now thought of themselves as – continued to chase after the Uruk-hai that had captured Pippin and Merry several days ago. As the sun rises, Legolas stops and looks up. "A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled on this night."

Aragorn nods as they once again pick up the chase. After a while longer, they hear the sounds of horses coming towards them and the quickly hide behind some boulders. As the group of horse riders passes by, Aragorn sees that they are friendly and calls for them. "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?"

The entire group of riders quickly turns and surrounds Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in a tight circle. Immediately all their spears are pointed at the three hunters. "What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf have in the riddermark?" Éomer asks from his horse. "Speak quickly!"

"Give me your name, Horse master and I shall give you mine," Gimli says.

Éomer hands his spear off to another rider as he dismounted her horse. Aragorn put a hand on Gimli's shoulder, making sure that the quick-tongued dwarf didn't say anything else to upset the riders.

"I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood a little higher from the ground." Éomer said as her approached Gimli.

In a smooth and quick move, Legolas pointed an arrow and pointed it at Éomer. He had grown fond of the dwarf over the last few months. He had always been taught to distrust them, but now his feelings were changing. "You would die before your stroke fell."

The spears of the riders all came a bit closer. Aragorn quickly moved to push down Legolas' arm and tried to calm the entire situation. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Now even his own kin," Éomer said as he took off his helmet and all the spears of the riders moved back away from the trio. "Saurman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that we are banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."

Legolas' blood began to boil at the mere mention of Saurman. He despised the man. He vowed years ago that if he got the chance to kill him – he would. One arrow. That would be all he would need.

"We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai headed westwards across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive." Aragorn said.

"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked hopeful.

"They would be small – only children to your eyes." Aragorn added.

"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them," Éomer said as he pointed off in the distance to something.

"Dead?" Gimli asked shocked.

"I am sorry," Éomer said nodding.

Legolas gently grasped Gimli's shoulder in grief and comfort.

"Hasufel! Arod!" Éomer said whistling for two horses. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell."

Putting his helmet back on, Éomer mounted his horse before addressing the trio one more time. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands. We ride north!"

They watched as Éomer and his riders took off to the north before they turned their attention to the smoldering pile of Uruks in the distance.

* * *

_Aragorn cried out in anger and frustration as he collapsed to his knees. Legolas stood next to him and gripped his shoulder in comfort, trying to ease some of his frustration – yet he had a look of sadness on his face. 'Hiro ith…ab 'wanath,' Legolas softly said as he bowed his head. _

_Gimli stood next to them holding something small in his hands…_

Aria's breath hitched as she gently ran her hands over her slowly expanding baby bump. They had lost someone from the Fellowship…

But who?

She knew that Gandalf had fallen. Word had reached her from Lórien about that. But who else? The presence of her husband was growing stronger. He was so close to her, yet still so far. She dared to hope that he and the others would seek refuge in Edoras soon.

* * *

"Gandalf!" Gimli said with a smile as their wizard friend emerged from the blinding white light in the middle of Fangorn forest. The trio had tracked Merry and Pippin into the old forest.

"Gandalf? Yes…that's what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name. But now I am Gandalf the White. And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide," he said with a smile.

Aragorn couldn't help but smile. The hobbits were alive and safe and Gandalf had returned to them. Suddenly he felt that things were going to get better since the breaking of the Fellowship and the death of Boromir.

Gandalf led the group through the forest – as he was now wearing a grey cloak over his white robes. "One stage of your journey is over, another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."

Just outside of the forest, Gandalf summoned his stead, Shadowfax – lord of all the horse to him. Within no time, they were setting off with all haste toward Edoras. As soon as the city upon a hill came into view, Gandalf stopped their approach. "Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong. Be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here."

* * *

Aria and Tauriel retreated from the room where Théodred lay. Éowyn wept over her cousin's passing. She gently kissed his hand as she said goodbye. Éowyn had tried to get her uncle to come and see his son, but nothing would help. It broke her heart that her cousin had died and her uncle had not been able to say goodbye.

"Oh he…he must have died sometime in the night." Gríma said as he appeared in the doorway. "What a tragedy for the king to lose his only son and heir."

Gríma gently put a hand on Eowyn's shoulder. "I understand his passing is hard to accept, especially now that your brother has deserted you."

Éowyn jumped back at this touch from Gríma. "Leave me alone you snake!"

"Oh but you are alone," he said moving closer to her. "Who knows what you have spoken to the darkness. In bitter watches of the night, when all your life seems to shrink, the walls of your bower closing in about you, like a hutch to trammel some wild thing in."

"Your words are poison!"

Éowyn ran out of the hall and out into the sunlight, as tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. Taking a deep breath she noticed that there were four riders making their way towards the Golden Hall. This was the last thing that she needed. Guests to have to entertain in the place of her uncle. She turned and walked back into the hall to make herself look more presentable.

Gandalf led the group up the stairs towards the Golden Hall entrance where they were met by guards.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden-King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Gríma Wormtongue." Hama, one of the guards said.

Gandalf nodded as in understanding and signals for the others to hand over their weapons. Legolas and Aragorn surrendered theirs easily, while Gimli was a little reluctant to hand over his axes – yet he did.

"Your staff?" Hama asked of Gandalf.

"Hmm? Oh you would not part an old man from his walking stick?"

Hama hesitates them allows him and the others to enter the hall. Gandalf leaned on Legolas for support, playing off the old man story as they walked. As they entered, the noticed that someone was sitting next to the King – an advisor of sorts. "My lord, Gandalf the Grey is coming. He's a herald of woe." Gríma whispered to the king.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King." Gandalf said as he began to approach the king. The others hung back and observed what was taking place.

"He's not welcomed…" Gríma whispered to the king.

"Why should I…welcome you, Gandalf…Stormcrow?" the king said as he looked to his advisor for affirmation.

"A just question, my liege," Gríma said standing up and walking towards Gandalf. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."

"Be silent! Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" Gandalf said as he raised his staff to Gríma.

"His staff!" he said backing away from Gandalf. "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

That was when the hostile guards attacked the trio that was with Gandalf – yet they were not match for the trio in a fistfight. One of the loyal guards tried to approach their king, but Hama held him back. Even Gríma tried to crawl away from it all, only to be held in place by Gimli's boot. "I would stay still if I were you."

"Théoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the shadows. Harken to me! I release you from the spell." Gandalf said as he still approached the king.

"Hahahahahahahaha," Théoden said in a menacing laugh. "You have no power her, Gandalf the Grey."

Gandalf stood up and threw off his grey cloak and in a blinding white light; Théoden was thrown back against his seat. He pointed his staff towards the king. "I will draw you out Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound."

Éowyn, hearing the commotion ran into the main hall. She tried to make her way towards her uncle but was caught by Aragorn. "Wait," he softly said.

"If I go, Théoden dies," the king said in the voice of Saurman.

"You did not kill me, you will not kill him!"

"Rohan is mine!"

Théoden lunges at Gandalf, who is quick the knock him on the head wit his staff. Théoden lets out a moan as he slumps forward him his chair. Éowyn breaks free of Aragorn's grasp and runs to her uncle's side as he falls.

Yet as his head rises, everyone notices that his face has begun to change back into that of a younger looking man. He turns and looks closely at Éowyn. "I know your face. Éowyn…Éowyn."

Éowyn smiles as a tear slides down her face.

By then Aria and Tauriel and emerged from the shadows to see what was going on. Feeling his wife's presence in the room, Legolas turned his head towards the pillar in room that she stood next to. Not wanting to cause a scene, he simply smiled. _'Meleth nin, I have missed you.'_

'_I've missed you too,' _she answered with a smile on her face.

* * *

After the dismissal of Gríma and the people of Edoras seeing the return of their King, Théoden quickly knew something was amiss. He asked for his son and was led away by Hama to talk with Éowyn.

While the king was left to grieve over his fallen son for a time with his niece, Hama led Gandalf and his companions to rooms that had been set up for them within the Golden Hall. Yet they didn't get far down the hallway until the group ran into two elleths standing in their way.

"We'll take this from here," Aria said. "Because certain sleeping arrangements just will not do."

Hama looked at the new healer with a puzzled looked as he turned and walked back down the hallway. Éowyn could sort it out later if need be.

"Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf all get to share a room since I am kicking Tauriel out of the one that we are currently sharing." Aria said pointing to the largest of the three rooms. "And Tauriel will be in there."

She pointed to a smaller room that Tauriel quickly entered and shut the door behind her.

"What about Legolas?" Gimli asked.

"Oh I will take good care of him, Master Dwarf," Aria said pulling her husband into the room with her and shutting the door.

Gimli stood there for a second with a confused look on his face. "That is his wife, Gimli." Aragorn said as he, Gandalf and Gimli all entered their room.

* * *

Legolas pulled his wife close to him and gently stroked the side of her face. "You're glowing, meleth nin."

"You are here for one."

"And you are pregnant," he whispered as he captured her in a deep and passionate kiss. With one hand, he held Aria close to him and with the other; he gently moved it to rest on the small baby bump that was evident under her dress. "You can't always hide things from me," he whispered, breaking their kiss.

"How?" she asked.

"Through our bond. I heard you call our children 'little stars'," he said looking deeply into her eyes. "Twins?"

She nodded yes as tears weld up in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her husband and melted into his warm embrace. It had been far too long since she had felt his arms hold her close. She had longed for this. Life was now right again – at least for the time being.

* * *

_**AN: Whew! I should be in bed, but I'm not. Oh well, I really wanted to give you this chapter! I promise that next chapter will be more discussion between our favorite couple about their twins! At least they are together now!**_

_**'Hiro ith…ab 'wanath,'- May they find peace in death**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine…everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 33**_

Legolas gently ran his hand along the side of Aria's face as she curled up tight against him as she slept. For the first time in years, she looked peaceful. He couldn't believe that in the midst of this war, his wife could look so peaceful. But she did.

They had been given a few hours of peace and quiet from the others. He would have to thank Aragorn for that. He had been able to relieve some of the tension that had been building for both himself and Aria as well as taking in the small changes that her body was already undergoing over the last two months. Fuller hips, fuller face, even fuller breasts.

How had he not noticed these changes before he had left?

Perhaps this with this pregnancy, she would be carrying to a full term for an elvish pregnancy instead of a human one. He could definitely tell that she was not having the morning sickness like she was last time. She looked much better for being four months pregnant than she did during her first pregnancy.

The first pregnancy…

That was so long ago.

He silently prayed to the Valar that nothing happened to Aria or their unborn twins during this pregnancy. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something did. He knew that Lady Galadriel had sent her a mithril shirt and Aria wore it religiously – or at least that was what she had told him earlier. He hoped that it would never have to be used, but he was glad that she had it.

Legolas let his hand drift down Aria's sleeping form before letting is rest on the small baby bump.

"Your ada is here, little ones. I promise to always take care of the both of you and your mother," he softly whispered as he gently ran his hand along Aria's protruding stomach. Deep in their bond, he could feel the soft glow of their twins – getting brighter every day. He could already tell that their glow was brighter than the previous day. He sighed – he only hoped that this entire war was over before they were born. Such precious things as elflings did not need to be born into a world filled with war.

Perhaps that was why the Valar had blessed him and Aria now. This was a sign of things to come.

Peace was to come.

"Can you feel them?" Aria asked, slowly opening her eyes as she moved her hands and held her husband's hand against her stomach.

"I can, meleth nin. They are strong and bright already," he said leaning over and kissing her lips softly. Aria smiled after their kiss as she ran her fingers through his hair before eventually sighing.

"I do not want to get up but we must," she softly said.

Legolas nodded as he got up from the bed first before helping up his wife. They quickly dressed since they had to join the others for the funeral of the prince.

* * *

King Théoden sighed as he held the small white flower in his hand before letting it go. He watched as the flower spun to the ground to land among hundreds other others that lay in front of a tomb – the tomb that his son now lay in.

"Simbelmynë," he said looking at Gandalf who was the only mourner who remained with him by the tombs. "Ever has it grown on the tombs of my forbearers. Now it shall cover the grave of my son. Alas, that these evil days should be mine. The young perish and the old linger. That I should live to see the last days of my house."

"Théodred's death was not of your making."

"No parent should have to bury their child," Théoden said as he began to weep.

"He was strong in life. His spirit will find its way to the halls of your fathers. Westu hál. Ferðu, Théodred, Ferðu." Gandalf said before he left Théoden to grieve in private a while longer.

Yet as he was walking back into the Golden Hall, he noticed something off in the distance. Two young children on a horse, with the boy collapsing and falling from the horse's back. He called for aid from the Hall for the children as he helped them as well.

* * *

After the children had been given a clean bill of health from Aria – minus the fact they were both starving – Éowyn saw to it that they were both given some warm food and blankets to warm them up. Aria and Tauriel sat across from them at the table. One the other side of the hall, Gimli and Aragorn sat eating some soup as well, while Legolas stood by and watched. King Théoden sat wearily on his throne.

"They had no warning," Éowyn said, standing up from kneeling next to the children. "They were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree."

"Where's mama?" the little girl asked.

"Shh," Éowyn gently said.

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children." Gandalf said as he leaned forward from the advisor's chair and put a hand on Théoden's chair. The king wearily looked at it. "You must fight."

"You have 2,000 good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king."

"They will be 300 hundred leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is that you want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war," the King argued.

"Open war is upon you. Whether you would risk it or not." Aragorn said.

"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn was king of Rohan."

Trying to keep his mouth shout and stay out of the conversation, Gimli took a drink of the ale he had with his soup and burped. Aria threw him a look. The dwarf grinned then shrugged his shoulders.

"So then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf asked.

* * *

"By order of the king, the city must empty! We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep. Do not burden yourselves with treasures. Take only what provisions you need." Hama announced to the people of the village.

All around them, people hustled by as Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli made their way to the stables.

"Helm's Deep! They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight! Who will defend them if not their king?" Gimli argued.

"He's only doing what he thinks is best for his people. Helm's Deep has saved them in the past," Aragorn said as the group entered the stables. Legolas actually agreed with Gimli, but he wasn't going to admit that out loud.

"There is no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Théoden has a strong will but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses HAVE to hold," Gandalf said.

"They will hold."

Gandalf walked up to Shadowfax and gently stroked him. "The Grey Pilgrim…that's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of me I've walked this earth and now I have no time. With luck, my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth. At dawn, look to the east."

Aragorn nodded as the trio watched Gandalf mount Shadowfax and rid off over the plains of Rohan.

* * *

Aria quickly packed her bag before double-checking all her supplies.

"And just where do you think that you are going?" Legolas asked walking up behind her and pulling her close.

"Helm's Deep," she said turning around in his arms. "With you and the others. I know that there are going to be people there who need my help."

"No you aren't."

"There's no place else. The road to Gondor is too dangerous right now and I cannot make it back to Imladris or even Lórien without running into Saurman. So what would you have Tauriel and I do? Walk right up to Saurman and surrender? We all know just how much he likes me – especially when I am pregnant," she said snapping at him.

Legolas didn't have a reply to that. She was actually right. Helm's Deep was the safest place for her. "Just make sure to wear your mithril shirt," he said, kissing her softly.

She smiled at him as she returned his kiss. "I already have it on."

* * *

Éowyn unsheathed a sword and began to practice a few swings with it. She quickly turned around as Aragorn and his knife blocked her parry.

"You have some skill with a blade," he said.

She quickly moved against him, regaining the upper hand and rendering Aragorn vulnerable before stepping back and sheathing her sword. "Women of this country learned long ago: Those without swords may still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain."

"What do you fear my lady?"

"A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire."

"You are a daughter of kings, a shield maiden of Rohan," he said sheathing his knife. "I do not think that would be your fate."

He bowed to her before walking away to find his sister and Legolas. Éowyn gazed after him as he walked away. A small smile spread across her face. Was she developing feelings for this northern ranger?

* * *

_**AN: Ok I lied….here is a short update. I felt like fluff between Aria and Legolas. I had a rough day and I needed to write. And this is what ya'll got! Now I doubt you'll get much else until later in the week because I will either put all of Helm's Deep into one massive chapter or split it….most likely it will be split. But who knows. Ta ta for now…reviews are great!**_

_**Westu hál. Ferðu, Théodred, Ferðu. - **__**Be-thou well. Go-thou, Théodred, go-thou.**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine….Everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

**Chapter 34:**

Aria silently rode next to her brother as they made their way towards Helm's Deep with the Rohirrim refugees. Gimli rode on the back of Arod who was being led by Éowyn a bit in front of them. Tauriel and Legolas had decided to scout a head of everyone. Something wasn't settling right with Legolas and he'd rather be safe than sorry – especially when Saurman was involved and with Aria being pregnant, he wasn't taking any chances.

"It's true that you don't see many dwarf woman. And in fact, they are so alike in voice an appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men," Gimli said as he happily chatted with Éowyn.

Éowyn turned and looked back at Aragorn with a smile on her face. Aragorn egged on the entire conversation by making a gesture of a beard on his own face and saying "It's the beards."

That only caused both Éowyn, Aria and Gimli all to laugh.

"Which of course is ridiculous…" Gimli said trying to continue but was suddenly Arod rears up and Éowyn lost her grip as he charges off and Gimli is falls from his back after a short distance. She quickly rushes to the dwarf's side.

"It's alright, it's alright. Nobody panic. That was deliberate. It was deliberate." Gimli said getting up.

Éowyn laughed as she helped him back up. She brushed him off and helped him get situated again. Aria noticed something about her brother as he watched the shield maiden of Rohan for a second – he was a bit smitten with her.

She sighed. Had something changed in two months between Arwen and Aragorn? Her thoughts were interrupted as King Théoden moved along side of them. "I haven't seen my niece smile in a long time. She was a girl when they brought her father back dead – cut down by orcs. She watched her mother succumb to grief…"

'_Haven't we all lost someone we love to orcs?'_ Aria thought to herself. _'I've lost a father and a son…'_

"Then she was left alone, to tend to her king in growing fear. Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father."

Seriously? Was the king trying to pawn his niece off on her brother? Sometimes she wished she had a better connection to her brother – like she had with Legolas – so that she could warn him about stuff like this. She knew how hard headed he could be.

* * *

"Ada is going to make her sail."

"And ada is just being selfish. He wants the twins to sail as well. But even they are putting off their decisions. He cannot force them. It is their own decisions whether to me counted as a mortal or immortal." Aria said as she sat next to her brother as the refugees made camp for the night. This had been the first time that she had been able to talk to her brother at all when it was just the two of them.

"But he told me that the time of the elves is over and that they are leaving for Valinor."

"Well he's right about that one. But they all aren't leaving. The Mirkwood elves haven't left yet. Still that doesn't mean she will go. She told me there wasn't anything in the world that would make her sail."

"I told her to."

Aria sighed as she slowly got to her feet. "Then that is your own damn fault for giving up to easily instead of fighting for what really matters. Simply settling isn't going to mend your heart. And please, don't lead her on if you don't really mean it."

She turned and walked off to find her husband. Aragorn watched as she walked off, wondering what she meant. Who was he possibly leading on? Then he saw Éowyn making her way towards him with a cooking pot in her hand. She walked up to Gimli and offered him some of whatever she had made and he graciously declined. Then she spotted him before softly smiling at him. She quickly made her way towards him.

"I made some stew. It isn't much, but its hot," she said filling a bowl for him and handing it to him.

"Thank you," he said trying a bite. "It's good," he said as he forced the horrific tasting stew down.

"Really?" she said as she turned and started to walk away.

He quickly tried to pour the stew on the ground, but Éowyn turned back around to ask him a question. Instead he ended up with the hot stew sloshing onto his lap. He grimaced as the heat spread across his lap.

"My uncle told me a strange thing. He said that you rode to war with Thengel, my grandfather. But he must be mistaken."

"King Théoden has a good memory. He was only a small child at the time."

"Then you must be at least 60."

Trying not to show his embarrassment about his age, Aragorn slowly shook his head no.

"Seventy?" she then asked.

Another shaking of the head no.

"But you cannot be 80!"

Looking down at the ground, Aragorn answer, "87."

"You are one of the Dúnedain. A descendant of Numenor, blessed with long life. It was said that your race had passed into legend."

"There are few of use left. The Northern kingdom was destroyed long ago."

"I'm sorry, please eat."

Aragorn reluctantly ate the rest of the stew.

* * *

That night as the refugees camped, Aragorn sat up and thought about what his sister had said to him earlier. Had she meant that he was possible leading Éowyn on? Surely not. But then again she had seemed interested in talking to him earlier about his age of all things. Very few actually knew of his Dúnedain heritage.

It wasn't that he wasn't proud of it, because he was. It was just that some people would take advantage of it for their own means.

Besides his heart belonged to Arwen.

Aria had been right. He simply couldn't settle for anyone besides her. Nor would he ever. She had told him once that if he were to trust nothing else then he should trust his heart and trust their love.

There could never be anyone for him besides her.

* * *

"How do you know Lord Aragorn?"

Aria and Tauriel both turned around at the question. They had been checking on their horses before trying to get some rest for the night. "Which one of us are you asking?" Tauriel asked.

"I'm just curious. That's all. It just seems that both of you are very close to even Gandalf before he left the other day."

Aria simply shrugged her shoulders. She hated confrontations and Tauriel knew it as well. "Narante hîn," Tauriel said urging her friend. Aria simply glared at her before turning to look at Éowyn.

"We're friends, that's all. I grew up in Rivendell with him before I married and moved away to the Woodland Realm. He's like a brother to me." Aria said, lying.

"Then why are you traveling without your husband?" Éowyn asked, motioning towards Aria's ring on her finger.

"I'm not anymore," Aria said as she turned and pointed to Legolas, who was sitting next to a campfire with Gimli. "As for Tauriel, she was sent by the Lady of Lórien to help me for a while. Anything else?"

She shook her head no.

"Then good night, Lady Éowyn. I hope that you get some rest." Aria said with a smile.

Éowyn said nothing as she watched Aria and Tauriel walk over and join Legolas and Gimli in front of the fire. Even though she had answered all of her questions without hesitation, there was still something about Aria that she couldn't put her finger on just yet. And she was determined to figure out what it was.

* * *

"What did Éowyn want?" Legolas asked as Aria curled up in his arms. He had seen the interaction between the three females from afar a few minutes ago.

"Asking how I knew Aragorn."

"Basically she lied to her about how she knew him," Tauriel added.

Legolas looked down at his wife in his arms. "What did you say?"

"That I grew up with him in Rivendell and I knew him before I got married before moved away to the Woodland Realm. How is that lying?"

"You never told her that you are his twin sister!" Tauriel said snapping at her friend.

"You're Aragorn's sister?" Gimli asked confused. "How can that be? You are an elf."

"See! That's why I didn't tell her!" Aria said.

"Aria calm down," Legolas said, rubbing his wife's back. "You don't need the stress nor do the babies."

"What babies?" Gimli then asked.

Aria groaned. This was going to be a long night. Legolas and Tauriel could explain everything to Gimli. She was just going to keep her mouth closed. This was all their fault!

"Show him," Legolas whispered, kissing her cheek softly.

Aria sighed as she stood up and moved next to Gimli. She took a hold of one of his hands and gently placed it against the small baby bump that was snuggly protected underneath both her traveling clothes and her mithril shirt. "They aren't very big right now, since I am only about four months along."

"Then why are you out in the middle of a war, lass?" Gimli asked as he pulled his hand back from her stomach.

"Because I need to be," she softly said as she placed a hand gently against his bearded cheek. Gimli felt his cheek get warm as he felt the urge to close his eyes and surrender to sleep. Eventually his eyelids slid closed, but sleep did not come. Instead he saw images and felt various feelings – he seemed to understand them all. The images quickly went past and before he knew it, he was opening his eyes again.

"What was that?" he asked, still trying to take in what just took place.

"Basically my life without the intimate moments. It's easier than explaining 87 years of my life."

"So Aragorn wasn't lying when he said he was raised by the elves."

Aria smiled, as she shook her head no.

"I still don't think you should be out in the middle of a war!"

"Oh she is going back to Rivendell as soon as it is safe." Legolas added.

* * *

The next morning Aria and Tauriel rode a ways from Aragorn since he decided to walk instead of ride. They rode more towards the front of the group of refugees.

"Where is she? The woman who gave you that jewel?" Éowyn asked as she walked beside Aragorn as they continued their journey with the refugees towards Helm's Deep. She had taken notice of the Evenstar that hung around his neck that Arwen had given him.

Aragorn didn't say anything as his thoughts drifted off to one of the last conversations he had with Lord Elrond about having Arwen sail to the Undying Lands, then trying to leave Rivendell with the Fellowship without saying goodbye to Arwen. He had tried to convince her then to sail; it had hurt him to do so. He could see the hurt in her eyes as he did it as well. He even tried to give back the Evenstar. But she insisted that he keep it because it was a gift.

"My lord?" Éowyn asked, brining him back to the present.

"She is sailing to the Undying Lands with all that is left of her kin."

Éowyn could see the sadness in Aragorn's face as she looked upon him. She knew that he was deeply in love with this elf-maiden that had won his heart. Yet why could he not be with her? Why could she have not stayed with him?

Perhaps she could mend his broken heart.

As they continued to walk, Hama and Gamling ride past them and towards Legolas who was standing on a hill looking out. The horsemen pause then a warg and its rider suddenly attack them. Hama is killed while Gamling fights the Warg. Legolas is quick to join the attack, killing the warg with an arrow before killing the rider with his knives.

Aragorn, who heard the attack, runs a head from the group of refugees to see what is going on.

"A scout!" Legolas yells. Aragorn nods as he turns back and heads towards the refugees. By then the King, along with Aria and Tauriel have made their way towards him on horseback.

"What is it? What do you see?"

"Warg! We're under attack!" he said getting on his horse.

The people of Rohan begin to panic.

"Get them out of here!" Aragorn shouts to Aria and Tauriel, who simply nod.

"All riders to the head of the column!" Théoden yells to his troops, while Gimli tries to get up on Arod as well.

Théoden spots his niece trying to calm the refugees to follow Aria and Tauriel to safety. "You must lead the people to Helm's Deep and make haste," he says.

"I can fight."

"No you must do this for me!"

Éowyn reluctantly does what is asked of her. As she moves the people forward, she turns back to see Aragorn riding off with the others. She hopes that everything goes well in the battle for everyone and that they all make it safely to the protection of Helm's Deep.

But that was not to be the case.

Aragorn, getting caught in the strapping of a warp, had taken a tumble of a cliff with the vile creature. A dying orc enlighten both Gimli and Legolas to what had happened to their friend.

"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing," Gimli said raising his axe towards the orc.

"He's…dead. He took a little tumble off the cliff."

"You lie," Legolas said as he knelt down as grabbed the orc by the collar of his tunic. As the orc died in his hands, Legolas looked down and saw the Evenstar necklace clutched between his grimy fingers. He took it and ran to the edge of the cliff where King Théoden already was standing looking over the edge. Far down below was a fast moving river with no sign of any bodies. Gamling walks up behind them and the king turns to look at him.

"Get the wounded on horses. The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead."

Legolas simply turned and looked at the king in shock. Théoden placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come," was all he said before walking away leaving Legolas and Gimli staring into the river.

"Do you really think he is dead?" Gimli asked.

"I don't know…"

* * *

_**AN:**__** Not much of a cliffy, since hopefully everyone knows how it turns out. Anyways, reviews please =) **_

_**And I'm not making Éowyn seem like a 'bitch' because I really love her character! It's just that she is crushing on Aragorn and Aria is over protective of her brother! That's all! They end up becoming good friends in the end, I promise! **_

_**Narante hîn – Tell her (she)**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**AN:**__** Aria is mine…everything else belongs to Tolkien!**_

* * *

**Chapter 35:**

"Make way for the king!"

Aria turned as she finished tending to a child's wounded knee and watched as King Théoden, Legolas, Gimli and several other Rohan soldiers rode through the gates of Helm's Deep. She, Tauriel and Éowyn had arrived several hours before with the refugees from Edoras. Since then Aria had been tending to the wounds and aliments of many of the other refugees that were already in Helm's Deep. She watched as Éowyn rushed to her uncle's side.

"So few. So few of you have returned." Éowyn said.

"Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives." Théoden said as he dismounted his horse.

"My lady," Gimli said as he approached Éowyn once he had dismounted Arod, since he rode with Legolas.

"Lord Aragorn…where is he?" she asked.

"He fell," he said choking back his grief.

When Aria heard those words she looked back at the small group stunned. She could see the shock on Éowyn's face with tears building in her eyes and she could see the grief on Gimli's face as well. Aria frantically looked around in the crowd of people for Legolas. She needed her husband. She needed to know the truth about her brother. She could feel Legolas' presence, but she did not see him.

"Calm down, meleth nin," he quickly whispered, as he moved next to her and brought his hands up to her face – almost appearing out of nowhere. Tears weld up in her eyes as he kissed her forehead before wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"Is it true?" she asked in a whisper.

"I want to say its not," he answered. "But I'm afraid it is."

Aria clung tightly to her husband as she began to sob. Legolas picked her up and carried her towards Tauriel, who was standing just a few feet away. "I'll take her for now," she said, as she took Aria's sobbing form in her arms.

"I'll try not to be long," he said, kissing Aria's forehead before making his way back to where King Théoden was with his guards and Gimli, going over whatever plans they had for the refugees currently in Helm's Deep.

"Draw all our forces behind the wall." Théoden said to Gamling. "Bar the gate and set a watch on the surround."

"What of those who cannot fight, my lord? The women and the children?" Gamling asked.

"Get them into the caves. Saruman's arm will have grown long indeed if he thinks that he can reach us here."

Legolas sighed as he followed the King and his guards back down into the Keep. Too many had underestimated Saurman in the past. His father had underestimated Saruman at one time – the end result had been the deaths of Aria, to an extent, and their son. How many more lives might be lost now?

* * *

He had no idea how long he had floated in the cold water or even how long he had be lying on the riverbank. Yet now the only thing Aragorn could see was the figure of Arwen leaning over him and gently kissing his lips.

"May the grace of the Valar protect you," she whispered as the vision of her faded from his sight before he lost all consciousness again.

Yet a gentle nibbling on his nose awakens him a short time later and Aragorn finds himself face to face with a surprising sight. It was the Prince Théodred's horse that Aragorn had suggest to Éowyn that they set free because he had seen too many horrible things after the prince's death. Had the Valar sent this horse to find him? Whatever the case maybe, he'd take it.

"Brego," he whispered as the chestnut steed kneels down beside the fallen ranger and allowed him to pull himself up onto his back. Once Aragorn was slumped over onto Brego's back, the horse began the journey towards Helm's Deep.

* * *

"_I amar prestar aen... han mathon ne nen, han mathon ne chae a han noston ned 'wilith. __The power of the enemy is growing. Sauron will use his puppet, Saruman... to destroy the people of Rohan. Isengard has been unleashed. The Eye of Sauron now turns to Gondor... the last free kingdom of Men. His war on this country will come swiftly. He senses the Ring is close.__The strength of the Ring-bearer is failing. In his heart, Frodo begins to understand... the quest will claim his life. You know this. You have foreseen it. It is the risk we all took. In the gathering dark, the will of the Ring grows strong. It works hard now to find its way back into the hands of Men. Men, who are so easily seduced by its power. The young captain of Gondor has but to extend his hand... take the Ring for his own, and the world will fall. It is close now. So close to achieving its goal. For Sauron will have dominion over all life on this Earth... even unto to the ending of the world. The time of the Elves is over...__Do we leave Middle-earth to its fate? Do we let them stand alone?"_

For some reason, Aria knew that this vision of Lady Galadriel was not meant for just her – perhaps her ada as well? She had seen visions from Lady Galadriel before, especially when she was younger and trying to hone her abilities but nothing recently. So this vision came as a shock. She had not only seen Saurman communicating with Sauron through a Palantir, she had seen thousands of Uruk-hai marching towards Helm's Deep. Yet also Sam and Frodo weren't doing so well in their quest to get to Mt. Doom either. They were currently in the Kingdom of Gondor and they had been captured.

At the end of the vision, Aria had seen glimpses of her ada staring at the mural of Isildur cutting the ring from Sauron's hand. What was he thinking?

She slowly opened her eyes before she stood up from the sleeping mat that she and Legolas had been given in a private room. Legolas had been holding her when she had fallen asleep – comforting her about her brother – yet deep in her heart she knew that he wasn't dead. Even though she and Aragorn didn't have a strong bond – like a married couple did – they did have a twin bond. While the initial shock of being told that her brother was dead had caused her to break down and cry, when she had begun to think about it, she realized that she would had felt his fëa leave this world for the Halls of Mandos. Which she hadn't. The question still remained – where was he?

She and the others would worry about Aragorn later. Right now they had bigger things to worry about.

Like Saruman.

If it dealt with that vile man, then it put her husband on edge. And when Legolas was on edge, he did nothing but worry about things that were out of his control. She knew that her husband had gotten very little rest in the last several days – more like months in fact. When she had woken up from the vision, her husband was not lying next to her or holding her in his arms.

But she knew exactly where to find him at this early hour.

Slipping her long traveling cloak around her and over the mithril shirt then pulling on her boots, she quietly made her way outside towards one of the high walls that surrounded the keep. She made her way past several guards, who paid no attention to her – for they too had too much on their minds. Sitting on one of the highest points of the walls was Legolas.

"You know the wall is nothing like a tree." Aria said as she stood below where her husband sat. Legolas looked down at her.

"Why aren't you in bed, meleth nin?" he asked.

"The question is why aren't you?"

With ease, Legolas leapt down and wrapped an arm around his wife before kissing her forehead. "You need to keep your rest up. For you and the little ones."

"You need to rest too, love," Aria said placing a hand against his face. "I know that you haven't gotten much rest since leaving Rivendell over two months ago."

"That is true."

"Then why not get some while you can. But now I feel your weariness growing. I know that it has to do with Saurman," Aria gently said as she moved her arms around his neck and leaned in close to her husband. "Seas teli o haust, meleth nin," she asked in elvish looking up at him. "Aníron le."

How could he resist a request like that – especially when she asked it in elvish. He loved it when she spoke elvish to him.

"Anything for you," he answered as they made their way back to bed.

* * *

After riding through the night and into the next morning, Aragorn wearily looked upon the welcomed sight of Helm's Deep. He knew that he needed to get the news of the massive army that was advancing their direction from Isengard to the king.

"Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nin," he said to the horse before directing him towards the entrance of the fortification. If it hadn't of been for the sense of direction and knowing of this horse, he would have never of made it here.

As he rode into the Helm's Deep he could hear gasps from the crowd as well as people shouting 'He's alive'!

When he dismounted Brego, Aragorn noticed that the crowd around him began to part as he heard a familiar gruff voice making its way towards him. "Where is he? Where is he? I'm going to kill him!"

The crowds fully parted as Gimli appeared in front of him, shaking his fists at him. "You are the luckiest, the canniest…and the most reckless man I ever knew! Bless you laddie," the dwarf said hugging his friend.

Aragorn smiled at his friend before asking him where the king was. Gimli nodded in the direction of the great hall. He quickly took off in that direction. As he was walking, he began to make himself more presentable. When he looked up, he found himself face to face with Legolas.

"Le abdollen," Legolas said looking him over. "You look terrible."

The two friends couldn't help but smile at each other. Before letting Aragorn continue on meet with the king, Legolas handed the Evenstar necklace back to Aragorn, who simply held it in his hand for a moment. He couldn't believe that Legolas had found it.

"Hannon le," Aragorn said before the two friends walked into the hall where the king was.

Éowyn had overheard that Aragorn had returned from the dead so to speak and had rushed to find him. But when she came upon the scene between Legolas and Aragorn where he was being given his beloved's necklace back, she simply stopped and watched from a distance. Tears weld up in her eyes. She knew deep in her heart that she would never be a match for whomever already had a hold of his heart. Trying not to shed the tears, she quickly turned and fled the scene.

* * *

After the Théoden had been told of the ten thousand strong army of Uruk-hai that were heading for Helm's Deep for a single purpose – their destruction – he ordered all the women and children into the caves, while all abled bodied men and strong lad to fight.

While none of the Rohan women and children were giving the soldiers and arguments about going into the caves for their protection, it was two of the non-citizens who were.

"Do not touch me!" Aria said pulling her arm away from the solider who tried to force her into the cave. "I am not from Rohan you can not tell me what to do!"

Tauriel tried to calm Aria down, but even that wasn't working. Aria was simply refusing to do anything that she was told to do.

"Let me handle this," a voice said from behind the solider who was trying to deal with Aria. From behind the solider, Aragorn appeared. Aria simply glared at him.

"Took you long enough to finally come and find me," she snapped at him. "Were you going to just send me off to the caves and then search for me later?"

He shook his head no as he pulled her into a hug. As he hugged her, his eyes flicked towards Tauriel who mouthed 'pregnancy' at him. That was it; she was in a mood from being pregnant. "Come on," he said to his sister. "Let's go find Legolas. Together we will figure out where you and Tauriel will be during the battle so that you can attend to the wounded."

"Thank you," she said smiling at him.

* * *

Needless to say, Legolas was not thrilled with the idea of Aria being vulnerable to Uruk-hai attack when Aragorn explained to him the deal that he had made with his sister.

"But if she stays around the hall, then she is not only protected by the inner walls, she will also be protected by those who are with the king." Aragorn said in a hushed whisper. "And you know that Tauriel will be with her. Besides we will need a healer. Aria is the best besides Lord Elrond."

Legolas turned and walked towards his wife who was sitting on a set of nearby stairs. "You've got to promise to stay where we put you. No matter what is going on otherwise," he said helping her stand.

"I promise," she said. "You've just got to promise to make it through the battle."

He smiled at her before kissing her lips. _'Always,'_ he said through their bond.

"Come my friend, we've got lots to do," Aragorn said dragging Legolas off with him.

"Just as long as you rest soon as well! You are no good to us half alive. And you know good and well that your sister will use some sort of elvish relaxing technique on you to get you to rest."

But Aragorn simply ignored him as they began to walk around the outside wall of the keep. "We'll place reserves along the wall. They can support the archers from above the gate."

"Aragorn! You must rest!" Legolas said one more time. "You are no good to us half alive."

But he was once again interrupted by something else. This time it was a person. Éowyn was rushing over to tell Aragorn something. "Aragorn! I'm to be sent with the women into the caves," she said rushing over to him an in panicked state.

"That is an honorable charge," he simply said as Gimli and Legolas waited behind him.

"To mind the children, to find food and bedding when the men return. What renown is there in that?"

"My lady, a time may come for valor without renown. Who then will your people look to in the last defense?"

"Let me stand by your side," she asked almost pleading.

"It is not in my power to command it," he said as he turned to walk away.

"You do not command the others to stay!"

Aragorn turned back in a bit of shock. What was it with feisty women today? First his sister and now Éowyn.

"They fight besides you because they would not be parted from you. Because they love you."

A bit embarrassed at what she just said, Éowyn looked away and quickly said, "I'm sorry," before entering the caves where husbands and wives were already saying goodbyes to each other as well as mothers saying goodbyes to their eldest sons. She hoped that everything turned out for the best.

* * *

Aria and Tauriel stood in the armory with the others and watched as weapons and armor were being handed out. Aria had wanted to be present to make sure that none of the men or young lads looked to be in too bad of shape to fight. She knew that they needed every man that they could to fight. But if someone couldn't hold a sword, what good would they be?

Off to the side, Aragorn took a hold of a sword to inspect it then set it down before walking over to where the others were sitting. "Farmers, farriers, stable boys. These are no soldiers," he said.

"Most have seen too many winters," Gimli said.

"Or too few," Legolas added. "Look at them. They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes."

Suddenly it seemed that everyone's eyes were on Legolas as he continued to talk. "Boe a hyn: neled herain dan caer menig!" he said continuing in elvish, knowing that only a few – those he wanted to hear – would know what he was saying.

"Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras." Aragorn answered.

"Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir... ortheri. Natha daged dhaer!"

"Then I shall die as one of them!" Aragorn yelled out at Legolas in frustration as they both glared at each other before Aragorn turned on his heel and stormed out of the armory. Legolas tried to go after him, but Gimli caught his arm.

"Let him go, lad. Let him be."

Legolas sighed as he caught his wife's eye from across the room. "_I'll go talk to him,_" she gently said as she got up and went after her brother.

She found him outside of the great hall talking to the son of Hama. She stood by and waited until their conversation was finished.

"…there is always hope," he said to Haleth, son of Hama about the impending battle before the young lad turned and walked away.

"Do you have any hope for yourself then, Estel?" she asked walking up to him. "That is what your name means. You bring hope to these people. I've seen it."

"How can I when my own friends do not have any."

"Legolas is frustrated. He has been on edge for months now – basically since the Fellowship began. Add my pregnancy to it and he's going to eventually snap at someone. The both of you are two of the most hardheaded males that I know. What did I do to be born a twin to a hard headed man then marry a hard headed elf?"

Aragorn smiled as he hugged his sister. She always did have a way of making him feel better.

"I better get back and get ready for this."

She nodded. "You go do what you need to do, while I go check on my supplies."

* * *

Once back in the armory, Aragorn put on chain mail for added protection. As he reached for his sword, he noticed that Legolas was standing next to him holding it out to him. "We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair."

"Ú-moe edaved, Legolas," Aragorn said as he clasped his friend's shoulder. Legolas did the same in return. Gimli appeared from around the corner and seemed to be struggling with something.

"if we had time, I'd get this adjusted," he said letting the chainmail shirt fail to the ground since it was obviously too big for him. "It's a little tight across the chest."

Legolas and Aragorn chuckled slightly at the dwarf as something sounded in the far distance that Legolas' ears picked up on.

"That is no orc horn," he said as he turned and ran out of the room. Aragorn followed after him.

* * *

Aria's head snapped up as she heard the horn. She turned to look at Tauriel who had heard it as well.

A smile spread across her friend's face. That horn was a horn from Lórien. And if elves from Lórien were coming to the aid of Rohan that only meant one elf was leading them.

Haldir.

They both ran from the temporary healing area that Aria had created near the great hall.

* * *

"Send for the king! Open the gate!" a soldier yelled looking down from the wall.

"Open the gate!" another yelled.

A large elven army passed by as the men of Rohan smiled. As Théoden walked down the stairs in disbelief, he could not believe that this was happening.

"How is this possible?" he asked.

Wearing bright golden elvish armor, Haldir approached the king and bowed. "I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together," he said noticing that Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were all now running down the steps towards him. And better yet – Tauriel was not far behind them, with Aria behind her. He couldn't help but smile. "We come to honor that allegiance."

Aragorn could not help himself as he rushed down and hugged the march warden of Lórien. "You are most welcome," he said.

Legolas hugged his friend as well, while Tauriel stood off to the side for a moment. She would wait until things calmed down from the elves arrival.

"We are proud to fight along side Men once more," Haldir said as the elves swiftly turned and stood at attention.

* * *

Aragorn and Legolas quickly moved the Lórien elves into position along the wall where they needed them. While they were busy doing that, Haldir slipped away to see what his wife.

"I've missed you, meleth nin," he said pulling Tauriel close to him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I've missed you too."

He bent down and kissed her deeply on the lips. "After this battle, I will show you just how much I've missed you," he said breaking their kiss as he ran a finger down the side of her cheek. She smiled at him before leaning up and stealing another kiss from him.

"Be careful," she whispered.

"I will."

As he pulled out of her grasp, Tauriel was reluctant to let him go. Something deep down was bugging her. She just hoped that everything would turn out for the best with the battle that was about to begin.

* * *

_**AN: Let the battle begin! I would have put it in this chapter, but I didn't want to keep ya'll waiting much longer. So I decided to split it into two chapters. So enjoy! Ok lots of elvish phrase were used – and here are the translations!**_

_**"I amar prestar aen... han mathon ne nen, han mathon ne chae a han noston ned 'wilith." – "**__**The world has changed... I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air."**_

_**"Seas teli o haust, meleth nin," / "**__**Aníron le" – Please come back to bed, my love / I desire you**_

_**"Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nin," – Well done, Brego, my friend**_

_**"**__**Le abdollen," – You're late**_

_**"Boe a hyn: neled herain dan caer menig!" **__** - "And they should be... Three hundred against ten thousand!"**_

_**"**__**Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras." – "**__**They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras."**_

_**"Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir... ortheri. Natha daged dhaer!" **__** - "Aragorn, they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!"**_

_**"Ú-moe edaved, Legolas."**__** – "There is nothing to forgive, Legolas."**_


	36. Chapter 36

_**Disclaimer:**__** I only own Aria….the rest belong to Tolkien!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 36:**_

As the night carried on, Aria could feel the tension building among the soldiers. It seemed as if they all knew that this was not going to end well.

'_May the grace of the Valar protect us all,' _she thought to herself as she and Tauriel watched from the far depths of the keep as Saruman's army approached. She turned to look at her friend. She could see that Tauriel's eyes were focused on Haldir – following his every move.

"Would you feel better fighting out there with him?" Aria gently asked. "I know that something is bothering you. You seem too tense."

"I know that I shouldn't be worried, but I am. Something about all of this doesn't feel right. I know that Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond send them here for Rohan's aid. But why did Haldir have to lead them?"

"Because he's the best that Lórien has. And the worry is simply because you love. I have it as well, each and every time that Legolas went out on patrol and even more so when he left with the Fellowship. Now what was the last thing that he told you before he returned to his soldiers?"

Tauriel smiled as a blush crept up on her cheeks. "That he would show me just how much he missed me after this battle."

Aria smiled. "Remember that and aid him through your bond. Between those two things, I'm sure that he will be just fine."

* * *

"You could have picked a better spot," Gimli said complaining about where he and Legolas stood on the Deeping Wall, waiting for the battle to begin. He couldn't see anything at all. Aragorn walked up beside his two friends. "Well, lad, whatever luck you live by, let's hope it lasts the night," the dwarf said looking up at the man.

"Your friends are with you, Aragorn," Legolas added.

"Let's hope they last the night," Gimli said.

Aragorn didn't say a word to either of them before walking away. He was just glad that they were there. He continued to walk through the lines of elves that were waiting for the signal to attack, as a steady rain began to fall. A thunderstorm was moving in, just as the Uruk-hai army reached Helm's Deep.

"A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas!" Aragorn yelled out as he continued to walked amongst the elves.

The grunts and the growls of the Uruks became louder and louder. Gimli began to jump up and down, trying to see over the Deeping Wall. He needed to know what was going on.

"What's happening out there?" he asked.

"Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas asked looking down at him. "Or would you like me to find you a box?"

Gimli laughed at the Elven prince's comment. He was beginning to like this elf more and more. Besides his wife had spunk too. Perhaps that was who had taught this elvish prince to enjoy life. Because it sure wasn't his father. His attention turned back to the battle at hand as the Uruks began to stomp their feet and beat their chests. Off in the distance, Gimli heard Aragorn yell something out in elvish before the shouts of the Uruks became thunderous and it sounded as if they were all running towards the Deep.

All around him, the elves were beginning to load their bows and awaiting for the command to fire. Above him, Legolas aimed his bow and said to something to his fellow elves, "Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc."

A ways down the Deeping Wall, came the command to fire. As arrows rained down in the Uruks, Gimli still could not see what was going on. "Did they hit anything?" he asked Legolas, hoping for an answer – but the elf's attention was elsewhere.

As the arrow volley continued for a few more minutes, more and more Uruks were killed. That was until they began to fire back with their crossbows, killing some of the elves. That was when ladders had begun to be set against the Deeping Wall.

This is where Gimli could finally join in on the action!"Good! Send them to me! Come on!" he said jumping into the fray as he used his axe while Legolas and other elves begin to use their swords to fight the Uruks that begin to appear on the ladders.

"Legolas! Two already!" Gimli yelled out as he killed a Uruk and stood over him.

"I'm on 17!" Legolas shouted back with a smile.

"I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!" he said turning around and killing an Uruk just as it reached the top of the ladder.

"Nineteen!" Legolas yelled out as he fired two more arrows – hitting both Uruks in the chest.

The battle raged on.

* * *

Gimli continued his count of Uruks he killed along the Deeping Wall as they continued to climb up the ladders. He would take care of things along here, while his friends would take care of things elsewhere. Nearby Aragorn noticed a group advancing towards the causeway near the Main Gate, with shields against their backs and at the front of the group. He quickly rushed through the group and yelled at some elves.

"Causeway!"

The elves turned towards the group and fired arrows at them, bringing down some of them.

Meanwhile, near the small culvert at the base of the wall several Uruks had placed two metal spiked balls next to each other. It didn't cross the mind of Aragorn about what it could be until he saw an Uruk come running towards the metal spiked balls with a lit torch.

It had to be some sort of explosive.

"Togo hon dad, Legolas!" he yelled pointing as Legolas heard the command and swung his aim around and shot the Uruk in the shoulder, but it did not stop him.

"Dago hon! Daog hon!" Aragorn yelled as Legolas took a second aim, hitting the Uruk in the other shoulder – but it was too late. The Uruk dove next to the two spiked balls setting off a chain reaction – explosions, the Deeping Wall being demolished and masonry flying everywhere. Aragorn and Gimli were both knocked unconscious by the blast and lay on the ground.

* * *

Aria and Tauriel looked up as soon as they heard the explosion. Aria had been treating several different soldiers for injuries from Uruk arrows or other weapons with Tauriel assisting her. She turned to look at her friend who had suddenly tensed up.

"Go," Aria said. "Go and fight. They need you more than I do. I will be fine."

Tauriel smiled and nodded as she grabbed her bow and arrow, along with a sword that she had kept close just in case they had needed them.

* * *

After regaining consciousness, Aragorn and Gimli both fought to defend the gap that now in the Deeping Wall. They had been joined by elves as well. Not wanting to be left out of all the fun, Legolas figured the fastest way to join his friends and take out several Uruks was to use one of their shields and slide down the steps, firing arrows as he went. Once he got to the bottom, the shield impaled itself directly into the body of an Uruk, killing it, while Legolas landed on his feet on joined his friends in the fray.

The trio kept on fighting with the elves and men, until Théoden yelled at Aragorn.

"Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of there!"

Nodding, Aragorn began to yell at the elves who were fighting nearby as well as his friends. "Nan Barad! Nan Barad!"

Legolas and another elf grabbed Gimli and dragged him back towards the keep. They knew if they had not done so the dwarf would not have left. Gimli protested the entire way. "What are you doing? What are you stopping for?"

Knowing that his friends were safe for now, Aragorn then turned and yelled up at Haldir who was fighting up on the wall with several other elves. "Haldir, non barad!"

The Lórien marchwarden nodded in response and began to yell at his elves to leave as he turned to kill an Uruk. But as he did another one ran up and stabbed him in the stomach. Reaching for his stomach, Haldir felt blood. He stumbled forward, only to feel another sword blade enter his back.

'_I'm sorry Tauriel…'_

* * *

"HALDIR!"

Even over all the chaos around her, Aria would know that scream. She had never heard Tauriel scream, but she knew her voice.

Something had just gone terribly wrong.

She grabbed her sword and sprinted towards the direction of where the scream had came from.

"Hey what about me?" an elderly man asked as he sat against a nearby wall, where Aria had been tending to his broken arm.

But she was too far away to respond.

* * *

"You've got to retreat back to the keep!" Aragorn said, trying to pull Tauriel away from her husband's fallen body.

"NO!" she screamed, as tears streamed down her face. "HE'S NOT DEAD! HELP ME GET HIM TO ARIA!"

Seeing as there was little time to do this, Aragorn hoisted the limp body of the Lórien marchwarden up and began to carry him towards the keep. He knew that this was a lost cause. But he didn't have time to deal with frantic women.

Two retreating elves saw Aragorn's struggles and took over for him and he gladly thanked him as he turned and fought back against the Uruks. He really hoped that Haldir was not dead. But he had seen him take his last breath. What had Tauriel meant about him not being dead?

* * *

Aria skidded to a stop on the wet masonry as she saw the two elves carrying the limp body of Haldir towards her. Tauriel was right behind them. As soon as she saw Aria, she ran up to her.

"He's still alive Aria!" Tauriel said pleading with her. "I can still feel his bond."

Aria motioned for the elves to follow her back to where she had set up her temporary healing area. She had them lay Haldir flat on his back and remove his armor for her so she could get a better look at his wounds. The remarkable thing she noticed was that as soon as his armor was removed, she could see a small rise in his chest as he slowly breathed. It wasn't often but it was there. She felt his pulse next – faint but there. Tauriel had been right. Haldir was still alive.

As she began to inspect his wounds, Aria's feelings about whether or not he would survive this ordeal began to fade. There was a gash to his stomach that was deep, while the one to his back was deeper. She quickly mixed an herb paste to place on the wounds to try and stop the bleeding. She wanted some of the bleeding stopped before she started to do any stitching.

Next to her, Tauriel sat quietly, holding onto the limp hand of her husband.

"Ok I need to turn him on his side," Aria said. "I need you to hold this bandage to his stomach along with holding him up while I stitch his back."

Tauriel nodded and did what she was asked. Aria quickly cleaned the paste away and cleaned out the wound the best that she could before she began to sew up the gash in Haldir's back. Within no time, she was done. She then moved to clean and sew up the gash in his stomach.

Once she was finally finished, she wrapped his entire abdomen with a bandage so that she covered both wounds.

"There is little else I can do," Aria said looking up at her friend. "The rest is up to him."

Tauriel nodded. "Thank you."

"No need for thanks. You always have my back. This is just repayment."

* * *

The battle had raged on throughout the night and into the morning. The Hornburg had fallen to Saruman's forces and his banners now flew there. All the men and few elves that remained had retreated to the safety of the Great Hall. But even that was currently under attack.

Aria had been forced to relocate Haldir's still unconscious body to a private room at the back of the Great Hall. She and Tauriel were back there as well, for their own safety. With everything going the way it was, neither of them wanted to be anywhere near King Théoden or Aragorn at the moment.

"The fortress is taken. It is over," Théoden conceded.

"You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it. They still defend it. They have died defending it." Aragorn said as he and Legolas barricaded the door of the Great Hall a little bit better. "Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?"

Théoden refused to look at him. So he asked a little bit louder a second time. "Is there no other way?"

"There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many." Gamling said answering for the king.

"Tell the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!" Aragorn insisted.

Gamling nodded and left.

"So much death," the king said in an odd voice – almost as if he was lost in a dream. "What can men do against such reckless hate?"

"Ride out with me," Aragorn suggested. "Ride out and meet them."

"For death and glory," the king said.

"For Rohan. For your people."

"The sun is rising," Gimli added.

Aragorn turned and looked at a window and remembered what Gandalf had told him a few days ago. _'Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth day. At dawn…look to the east.'_

"Yes…Yes…The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep one last time." Théoden said. "Let this be the hour we draw swords together."

Gimli headed off to sound the horn as Legolas, Aragorn and the King all prepared to ride out to meet the Uruks.

The trio galloped through the Great Hall just as the Uruks broke through the door, killing all those in their path. They head down into Helm's Deep and down the causeway, killing as they ride. As they leave Helm's Deep, they notice a white light at the top of the hill next to Helm's Deep. They looked up and see Gandalf sitting atop Shadowfax, who rears up.

"Gandalf," Aragorn says.

* * *

"Théoden King stands alone," Gandalf said from atop the hill.

"Not alone," Éomer said riding up next to him. "Rohirrim! To the king!"

As the Rohirrim and Gandalf surged down the hill towards the Uruks, the blinding white light from Gandalf's staff suddenly blind them allowing the Rohirrim to ride over them and into their masses. The Uruks begin to flee towards a forest that had suddenly appeared near by.

"Stay out of the forest! Keep away from the trees!" Éomer said stopping the king, Legolas, Aragorn and those who were riding after the Uruks. They sat by and watched as screams are heard from the forest as the tress began to move – apparently the forest killed the Uruks.

* * *

Back at Helm's Deep, families were being reunited once the caves were opened. Aragorn walked up to Éowyn, who smiled at him and simply hugged him.

Down below, away from the Great Hall, men were piling up the dead Uruks to begin to burn their bodies. Aria was down there, making sure that none of the supposedly dead men and elves were actually still alive – like the situation was with Haldir. But she also needed to tend to the nasty bump on her husband's forehead as well.

He had promised her that she could, just as soon as he had talked to Gimli.

"Final count…42," Legolas said looking at the dwarf who was smoking his pipe while sitting on a Uruk.

"42? That's not bad for a pointy-eared Elvish princeling. I, myself, as sitting pretty on 43."

Legolas quickly drew an arrow and shot it between Gimli's legs into the Uruk that he was sitting on.

"43," he said smirking.

"He was already dead."

"He was twitching."

"He was twitching…because he's got my axe embedded in his nervous system!"

Aria walked up to her husband and gently tugged on his arm. "Let him have this one," she whispered. "There will be other battles. I'm sure of it. Now let me take care of your head."

Legolas turned and smiled at Aria. "Thank you for doing what I asked last night, for the most part at least."

"And thank you for not getting killed. One trip to the Halls of Mandos was enough for me."

* * *

A pair of eyes slowly parted before squinting at the intrusion to the unwanted light. He felt a hand resting against his own. He gently squeezed it as he turned his head to the side, away from the bright light.

"Tauriel?" he groaned. Pain shot up from all parts of his body. What had happened? He couldn't remember much, just that there was blood. His only thought at the time was that he would never get to see his wife again.

"I'm here," a soft voice said as another hand moved against the side of his face.

"I almost passed into the Halls of Mandos…" Haldir said focusing his eyes on his wife as she moved closer to him.

"I know."

"No. I almost walked into the light. But a woman stopped me and told me to go back. To come back to you."

"A woman?"

"Yes. It was odd. She said her name was Estë."

"Whoever it was, I do not care. Just as long as you are healing," Tauriel said kissing his lips softly.

* * *

_**AN: YAYA! Haldir lives! See in the books there were no elves in the Battle of Helms Deep, so Haldir lived in the book! So I kept him alive here. YAYAYA! Until next time! Review! =D**_

_**A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas! **__**(Show them no mercy! For you shall receive none!)**_

_**Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc. **__**(Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arm.)**_

"_**Nan Barad!" – "To the Keep"**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine….Tolkien owns everything else!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 37:**_

"Estë?" Aria asked a bit confused as she changed Haldir's bandages a few hours after he had awoken.

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth as he sat up for Aria. He had felt pain before from various wounds, but this pain was unlike any of those. All he wanted to do was simply curl up on the sleep mat and lie in his wife's arms. Yet he did want to heal, which meant putting up having clean bandages put on to stop infections from spreading.

"Who is she?" Tauriel asked as she sat off to the side.

"She's a Valier. She's the healer of hurts and weariness." Aria said looking at her friend. "But that doesn't explain why she sent Haldir back."

"Who says that he was the only one told to turn back?" Gandalf said walking into the room. "The Valar do things that we can not understand. Unless you ask all those who were injured and survived, you might find that Estë helped others."

"Besides, there was something that was keeping Haldir anchored to Middle Earth," Aria said turning to look at her friend. "And that was you."

"Then why did you pass to the Halls all those years ago? I know that the bond between you and Legolas is very strong." Tauriel countered with.

Aria didn't say anything as tears began to weld up in her eyes. Gandalf moved behind her and squeezed her shoulder slightly before quickly changing the subject. "We leave for Isengard in the morning," he said. "But seeing how Haldir is still mending, I think it best that he returns to Edoras with the refugees so that he may recuperate more. What do you say, Aria?"

Taking a breath to calm herself, Aria nodded in agreement as she finished changing the bandages and stood up to leave. "I will be back in a while with some tea to help you sleep, Haldir. Just don't do anything too strenuous."

"Trust me, I won't be."

She nodded then turned and quickly left the room.

Sensing that something was bothering her friend, Tauriel turned to look at Gandalf. "Was it something I said?"

"Everyone has burdens to bear. Some are just greater than others. Aria's burden is what she had to leave behind when she returned from Valinor."

That was when Tauriel understood. She had often wondered why her two friends had never started a family when Aria had returned to Middle Earth. It was because of the loss of their first child.

* * *

Aria sat on one of the steps that lead into the great hall and stared out into the encroaching darkness of the night. Tears slowly ran down her cheeks. How could she ever consider bringing another elfling into the world – let alone two – after what had happened with her and Legolas' first son? She was a horrible person for subjecting these two innocent elflings to this life. What kind of mother was she? She buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

She never heard him approach her nor did she hear him sit down next to her. Yet, the first time that Aria felt her husband next to her was when he pulled her into his arms. "Shh," he whispered to her. "You will make a wonderful mother. Remember there is nothing we can do the change the past."

"But I miss him!"

"As do I." Legolas said as he moved one of his hands to rest on slowly Aria's expanding baby bump. "Yet have you ever thought that maybe his fëa is being reborn in one of the twins? Perhaps that is why we are having twins instead of one since elves rarely have twins."

She sniffled as she looked into her husband's deep blue eyes. "I never thought of that."

"You always tell me that there is a reason for everything and maybe that is that reason."

"Maybe," she said forcing a small smile. Legolas wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks before kissing her lips softly.

They sat out on the steps until the sun had completely set and night had once again settled over the land. Nothing had been said between either of them. All they simply cared for being in each other's presence.

"I do need to check on Haldir." Aria said after a while.

"Then after that can I have you back? Since we do not know if we are to be separated or not after the journey to Isengard."

"But I am not going to Isengard. I need to return to Edoras with Haldir to tend to his injuries, along with the others. Besides I do not want to confront Saurman. I'm sure you are more than capable of doing that for the both of us."

"If given the chance."

* * *

Seeing Merry and Pippin alive and well upon riding into Isengard, made the four members of the Fellowship very happy. But feeling the evil that still lingered in Isengard, made Legolas sit on edge a bit. He would give anything to be able to put an arrow throw Saruman's black heart and be done with it.

Adding the two hobbits to their riding party, the group made their way towards the Orthanc where Treebeard stood.

"Hooom, young master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master. But there is a wizard to manage here locked in his tower." Treebeard said.

"Show yourself," Aragorn said looking up at the tower.

"Be careful," Gandalf warned. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."

"Well then, let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli said from behind Legolas.

Legolas silently agreed with the dwarf.

"You have fought many wars and slain many men, Théoden King and made peace afterwards. Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?" Saurman said calling down form the top of the tower, where he had appeared.

"We shall have peace…we shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg… are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows… we shall have peace!"

"Gibbets and crows! Dotard! What do you want Gandalf Grahame? Let me guess… the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad Dûr itself? Along with the crowns of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!" Saurman said turning his fury towards Gandalf.

"Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel." Gandalf answered calmly.

"So you have come here for information. I have some for you," he said as he held out the Palantir and looked into it. "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. Something that you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it! Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon. You are all going to die! But you know this don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows will never be crowned King. Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those who are closest to him… those he professes to love! Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death."

Gandalf slowly moved towards the base of the tower with Aragorn watching both of their moves.

"I've heard enough! Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!" Gimli muttered.

'_With pleasure,'_ Legolas thought to himself as he reached for an arrow.

"No! Come down, Saruman and your life will be spared!" Gandalf said stopping him.

"Save your pity and your mercy. I have no use for it!" he snarled as he directed a bolt of fire at Gandalf who simply let it hit him then it extinguished it with no problems.

"Saruman…your staff is broken!" Gandalf said emerging from the fire unscathed.

The staff in Saruman's hand burst to Saruman's astonishment. From the shadows of the top of the tower, Gríma Wormtoungue appeared. He moved to stand behind his master.

"Gríma! You need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down." Théoden said.

Gríma hesitated for a moment and acted like he was going to go down to his king, but then Saruman began to belittle him and the kingdom of Rohan. "A man of Rohan? What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helms Deep does not belong to you Théoden Horse Master. You are a lesser son of greater sires!"

"Gríma…come down! Be free of him!"

"Free? He will never be free!"

"No!" Gríma finally yelled.

Saruman spun towards him. "Get down cur!" he said as he slapped him to the ground.

"Ah!"

"Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!"

As he turned back to face Gandalf, Saruman spoke once again. "You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided. I will not be held prisoner here!"

Behind him, Gríma slowly rose to his feet as he pulled a knife out from beneath his robe and attacked Saruman with it – stabbing him twice in the back. Legolas quickly aimed an arrow and shot Gríma in the heart. As a result of the knife attack, Saruman fell from the top of his tower and impaled himself on the spoke of a great water wheel below.

Immediately Gandalf turned to look at Éomer. "Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike."

As the water wheel turned and Saruman's body disappeared underneath, the Palantir falls out of his robes and lands on the ground. Pippin saw it and scrambled off of the horse that he sat on with Aragorn to go retrieve it.

"Pippin!" Aragorn yelled.

As Pippin looked into the Palantir when he picked it up, he couldn't help but let it hold its gaze. But his hold was broken when Gandalf moved next to him. "Peregrin Took. I'll take that my lad. Quickly now!"

He handed it over to Gandalf, who quickly wrapped it up in his robe. He couldn't help but long to look into it again.

* * *

Aria slowly turned to leave the room that she and Tauriel had just gotten Haldir settled in once they and Éowyn had returned to the Golden Hall in Edoras with the rest of the refugees. As she turned to leave the room to allow Haldir to rest, a pain shot through her body. It felt a lot like the pain from when Gandalf had read the black speech of Mordor back during the Council of Elrond. She doubled over in pain, practically kneeling on the floor.

Tauriel was instantly by her side. "Is it the babies?"

She shook her head no.

"Come on, let me get you into bed. You need rest. You haven't had much in the last few days." Tauriel said helping her friend up. She turned to look at her husband. "I'll be right back."

Haldir nodded. He wished that he could help as well.

Tauriel led Aria into the room that she and Legolas were using in the Golden Hall and helped her into bed. The sharp pain had dulled down to a gnawing ache now. "Sleep is what you really need. A long sleep. I know that you are half elf and you think that you can go with less sleep than before. But I honestly don't think you can. I can take care of my husband. You take care of yourself and those babies."

Closing her eyes, Aria nodded.

She really hoped that Legolas was back soon.

* * *

_Pain. Fire. Burning. Covering everything in an eternal darkness. _

Suddenly the pain in her chest became unbearable. Aria arched her back and cried out in pain as her eyes flew open.

A gentle pair of hands where holding her down on the bed. "Shh," a gentle voice said. "It's fine, Aria. You are safe."

She took a deep breath and turned her head to the side. Sitting on the side of the bed was Legolas. Standing on the side of the bed was Aragorn with Gandalf sitting in a nearby chair. "You've been talking in your sleep for the last hour," Legolas said as he passed a damp cloth across her forehead. "You even broke out in a sweat."

"Why are you all in here?" she softly asked.

"Tauriel told us what happened when we arrived back here." Aragorn said. "We've been waiting for you to wake up since then."

"How many times have you felt pain like that?" Gandalf asked.

"Twice. Once when you uttered the black speech of Mordor and today."

"Hmmm." Gandalf said thinking.

"What is it?" Aragorn asked.

"Perhaps her pain is tied to Sauron and what she must do for the Valar."

She groaned as she leaned into her husband. She only hoped that Frodo and Sam could make it to Mt. Doom. She was running out of options on how to contain Sauron.

* * *

_**AN**__**: You didn't think that I was going to make things easy on here did you? Nope! Oh! Estë is a Valier and they are the Queens of the Valar. She is married to Irmo. Anyways, review please! =D**_


	38. Chapter 38

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine – everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 38:**_

The Golden Hall was packed with the people of Edoras both remembering those who had been lost at Helms Deep and celebrating the victory of Saruman's forces. Even Haldir and Tauriel joined in on the celebrations for a while before the pain from his injuries became too much for Haldir. Aria had to admit that Haldir was a very lucky elf – the Uruk's blade had come very close to severing his spinal column. And she was also amazed at just how fast he was healing.

Even Aria seemed to be having a good time after her incident with the pains in her chest from earlier in the day. She even convinced her husband to accept a drinking challenge from Gimli.

"No pauses," Éomer said, explaining the rules. "No spills."

"And no regurgitation!" Gimli said as he lifted a tankard full of ale of his mouth.

"So it's a drinking game?" Legolas said, eyeing the tankard in his hand wearily. As an elf, he was used to drinking wine – not ale.

"Aye!" several men around him yelled.

"Last one standing wins! He he he," Gimli said as he drank the tankard in his hand in one gulp. Legolas slowly took a sip of ale from his tankard before drinking it a bit faster. He had to admit that this stuff wasn't all that bad – but wine was still better. Aria stood next to Éomer and watched the contest continue on. Personally she had never seen a drunk elf before. She wondered what a sight that would be.

"Raaar, it's the dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women! Haha!" Gimli said after a while of drinking as he burped and then farted as he downed yet another tankard. Aria only shook her head in disbelief at the manners that some had when they drank.

"I feel something," Legolas said looking at his fingers. "A slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's affecting me."

He looked at Aria a bit concerned. She merely smiled at him.

"Heh, heh, heh. What did I say? He can't hold his liquor." Gimli said, slurring his words. That was before his eyes went crossed and he keeled over backwards off his stool. Legolas, Aria and Éomer all watched him fall.

"Game over!" Legolas said with a smile on his face.

Aria simply rolled her eyes at her husband as he walked towards her.

"What?" he asked as he pulled her close to him.

"Out drinking a dwarf?"

"Adar would have been displeased if I didn't. It's the price you pay for growing up in the halls of Mirkwood."

"And what about your new found friendship with said dwarf?" Aria said motioning towards Gimli's still passed-out body that Éomer and another man where carrying away so that he wouldn't get trampled.

"I'm still not sure…"

"I know that your father can be overbearing and demand the upmost loyalty from both his subjects and furthermore his sons. Yet I also know that he can be loving and understanding as well. Wasn't there a time not, long ago that he did not want his youngest son marrying a mortal?"

"There was."

"Yet he saw that there were some choices in your life that he didn't have any control over. Perhaps this could be one of those."

"You do know he loves you as a daughter right?"

"Now he does. But it took some time," she said with a smile as she stole a quick kiss from Legolas before she heard her name being called.

"Lady Aria!"

She turned away from Legolas and saw the two small hobbits coming towards her. She had grown quite fond of the two hobbits during their time in Imladris. "Masters Merry and Pippin, I hope that your travels around Middle Earth have not made you too homesick for the Shire," she said as she knelt down so that she could better speak to them. She remembered that they had been a bit worried about becoming homesick during their talks before the Fellowship had departed.

"Not at all!" Pippin said. "In fact, I can't wait to see more!"

"I agree!" Merry added.

Aria smiled at the two hobbits.

"Now why is a lady such as yourself in the middle of all of this?" Merry asked.

Aria couldn't help but blush a bit as she placed a hand gently against the hobbit's cheek. "I couldn't very well leave everything up to the Fellowship now could I?" she said with a smile. "Besides I missed my husband."

"And who would that be?" Pippin asked.

"Legolas," Merry said under his breath to his cousin. Pippin looked up at the elf that was standing next to Aria. He had never put two and two together before.

"Come on Pip," Merry said dragging his cousin away before he could make a fool out of himself anymore. "Let's get something to drink."

Aria stood back up and smiled as the two hobbits went off in a different direction. "I think they both are smitten with you," Legolas said.

"I think that you are mistaken."

"No matter," he said smiling at her. "They already know that you are spoken for."

"And I always will be," she said curling against him. "Now how about we get some fresh air."

Legolas happily led his wife outside. He could use with some fresh air as well.

As they were heading outside, they passed by a table where Merry and Pippin were singing and dancing on top of. "Oh you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole town dry, but you'll never find a beer so brown, but you'll never find a beer so brown, as the one we drink in our hometown, as the one we drink in our hometown. You can drink your fancy ales; you can drink them by the flagon. But the only brew for the brave and true, comes from the Green Dragon!" the two hobbits happily sang for the men who gathered around before they clanking their tankards together and drinking down the ale.

Off to the side, Gandalf stood clapping on the hobbits with a smile on his face. He was glad that their adventure thus far had no dimmed their spirits in the least bit. Aragon silent moved to stand next to him. "No news of Frodo?" he asked.

"No word. Nothing."

"We have time. Every day Frodo moves closer to Mordor."

Gandalf turned to look at the ranger. "Do we know that?"

"What does your heart tell you?"

"That Frodo is alive," Gandalf said with a smile. "Yes…yes he's alive."

Aragorn could sense that something else was bothering the Istari. "Something else is troubling you, isn't there Gandalf?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, but for your sister to instead."

* * *

The rest of the night and early into the morning the festivities carried on. Eventually everything calmed down. Throughout the various parts of the Golden Hall, people slept wherever they could. In the one of the halls, Aragorn stealthily made his way around the sleeping bodies towards the door that would lead him into the main hall. As he walked through the main hall, he passed by the figure of Éowyn, who slept by a dimmed fire. He stooped by the fire and moved logs around a bit, trying to get them to burn a little bit more. After tending to the fire, he moved up toward the sleeping figure of Éowyn and pulled her dress further down around her ankles and the blanket more up around her neck.

"What time is it?" she asked with her eyes still closed as Aragorn moved his hand away from her neck where he had moved the blanket further up.

"Not yet dawn," he said trying to move away.

She reached out and grabbed his hand before he could move away. He turned back to look at her.

"I dreamed I saw a great wave climbing over green lands and above the hills. I stood upon the brink. It was utterly dark in the abyss before my feet. A light shone behind me but I could not turn I could only stand there, waiting," she said with a tear gently running down her cheek.

Aragorn knelt down beside her and clutched her hand. "Night changes many thoughts. Sleep Éowyn. Sleep while you can."

She closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep as Aragorn left her side and made his way outside. Once he was outside, he began to fill his pipe and noticed that Legolas stood nearby – looking off in the distance. He walked over to the elf and stood next to him.

"The stars are veiled. Something stirs in the East, a sleepless malice. The eye of the enemy is moving." Legolas said looking at Aragorn.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, when suddenly Legolas turned to look at Aragorn. "He's here," he said.

* * *

Aria arched her back and screamed as pain shot through her body just like it had earlier that day. She clenched the sheets of the bed as she closed her eyes to the pain. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

'_I see you!_' she heard a voice snarl at her.

She only kept on screaming.

Where was Legolas? She needed her husband.

* * *

Legolas and Aragorn burst into the room where the screams to Merry could be heard. "Help him!" Merry yelled as Aragorn grabbed the Palantír from Pippin, only to struggle with it for a second before dropping it for a second. He collapsed against Legolas as the Palantír rolled away. Gandalf ran towards the Palantír and threw a blanket over it before turning towards the hobbits.

"Fool of a Took!"

Yet seeing Pippin, he noticed that the hobbit lying perfectly still on the ground with his eyes opened. "No," he breathed.

He ran to the hobbit's side, shoving Merry out of the way. He took a hold of Pippin's hand, while putting his other hand on the hobbit's forehead while he closed his eyes. Merry watched as Gandalf muttered something as he moved his hand to the hobbit's cheek. After a second, Pippin jumped before gasping and waking up.

"Look at me," Gandalf said as the hobbit did.

"Gandalf, forgive me!"

"Look at me! What did you see?"

"A tree. There was a white tree in a courtyard of stone. It was dead. The city was burning."

"Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?"

"I saw…I saw him!" Pippin said. "I could hear his voice."

"And what did you tell him?" Gandalf asked as his eyes widened. "Speak!"

"He asked me my name. I did not answer. He hurt me!"

"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?"

Pippin just looked up at Gandalf.

"He didn't tell him anything," a weak voice said coming from the doorway. Gandalf looked up, as did Legolas and Aragorn. Standing there, leaning against the doorframe was Aria. She was breathing heavily and bracing her growing baby bump with one hand. She looked like she had just gone through hell. Legolas was immediately at his wife's side.

"Help her back to bed, Legolas." Gandalf said. "We will take care of all of this in the morning."

Legolas wrapped his arm Aria and turned her back to bed. She curled tightly against her husband and breathed in his scent as it calmed her down.

* * *

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the Palantír a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith," Gandalf said the next morning. "His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. He knows the Heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still. Strength enough, perhaps, to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle Earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a King return to the throne of men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit Rohan must be ready for war."

"Tell me! Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?" Théoden asked.

"I will go!" Aragorn said standing up.

"No!"

"They must be warned!"

"They will be," Gandalf said as he approached Aragorn. "You must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river. Look to the black ships," he said in a low voice before turning back to look at Théoden. "Understand this, things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith and I won't be going alone."

He turned to look at Pippin.

"And I will be going as well." Aria said entering the Great Hall.

* * *

_**AN**__**: Well I would have updated sooner – but I'm pretty ticked off right now. I'm one of those who still aren't getting alerts for anything! So when you review, please bear with me as I take my time getting back to you with my responses! **_


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: Aria is mine…everyone else belongs to Tolkien!**

* * *

**Chapter 39:**

"I know that this is for the best, but I do not want to be parted from you," Legolas said as he gently ran a finger down the side of his wife's face. "Nor from our little ones. I can feel them growing stronger each day."

Aria curled into her husband and inhaled his scent. Even after being on this journey for several months, he hadn't lost the smell of the forest and cinnamon. She closed her eyes and allowed the scent to envelop her.

"I could ride with you as well."

She opened her eyes and looked up at her husband as a smile slowly crept its way across her face. She ran her fingers through his hair while she considered what he had suggested. "As much as I want to say yes to that, Aragorn needs you by his side more. It's only a few days. A week, maybe 10 days at most."

"How can you be so certain?"

She raised an eyebrow to him. "It's a three day ride to Minas Tirith. Then a day or so plotting how to get the beacons lit, then a day or so for things to get situated here then another three days before you and everyone else arrives there. Besides I already know that Denethor is not going to like it when Gandalf announces the return of the King to Gondor and he's especially not going to like the fact that the unborn heirs to the throne are half elves."

"You're not going to tell him right away are you?"

Aria shook her head no. "Besides I've got Haldir with me now, along with Tauriel. Denethor doesn't have to know that he can't lift a sword. So he would be a fool to try to harm me. But that isn't the point. The point is that Aragorn and I cannot be anywhere near each other until that ring is destroyed. There has to be an heir to the throne of Gondor. And I carry two of them."

Legolas sighed as he kissed his wife's lips. He knew that she was right. Going to Minas Tirith probably was the best thing for her. Tauriel and Haldir would be with her to help her through any nightmares, as would Gandalf. But putting her that close to Mordor worried him. Yet he knew that he would soon be heading in that direction as well.

* * *

Merry, Aragorn and Legolas watched from the watchtower as the four horses made their way across the plains of Rohan and disappeared into the distance.

"He's always followed me everywhere I went since before we were tweens. I would get him into the worst sort of trouble I was always there to get him out. Now he's gone. Just like Frodo and Sam," Merry said looking up at the human and elf.

"One thing I've learnt about hobbits: they are a most hardy folk," Aragorn said smiling down at his friend. Legolas nodded in agreement.

"Foolhardy maybe. He's a Took!" Merry said laughing.

* * *

As they rode, Aria was getting various snippets of visions. Yet it was unlike any vision that she had ever seen before. It was more like a message – sorta like the one that she had seen from Lady Galadriel before. Instead this was from Arwen.

She saw someone taking the shards of Narsil from her Ada's library and beginning to reforge them into a new sword. Then she saw Arwen reading a book before it falls from her hands as she rubs her fingers with their Ada looking worriedly at her.

That was when Aria realized what had happened. Arwen had chosen to be a mortal. All the gifts of the Eldar where leaving her. No wonder their Ada looked worried and no wonder he was having the sword reforged. He was going to make sure that Aragorn became king and that Arwen's decision would not have been in vain.

* * *

"Minas Tirith." Gandalf said as the group sat on their horses just on top of a hill overlooking to city. "The city of Kings."

Aria smiled as she looked at the great white city against the mountainside. She had never seen it before, only heard of it. Since she had married so young, she had not traveled Middle Earth as much as her brother had. She wasn't complaining about being married one bit. But this city was a spectacular.

The group rode through the city until they made their way to the uppermost level. That was where they stopped and dismounted their horses. Haldir and Tauriel were going to wait outside, while the others ventured in.

As the trio of Aria, Gandalf and Pippin made their way towards a set of large white doors, Pippin spotted the white tree from his vision a few nights ago. It was surrounded on all sides by guards. "It's the tree! Gandalf, Gandalf!"

"Yes, the white tree of Gondor. The tree of the King. Lord Denethor, however, is not the king. He is a steward only. A caretaker of the throne."

Gandalf stopped at the door before opening it and turned to look at the hobbit. "Now listen carefully. Lord Denethor is Boromir's father. To give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise. And do not mention Frodo or the Ring. And say nothing of Aragorn either. In fact, its better if you don't speak at all Peregrin Took."

Aria had to with hold a chuckle. Were all hobbits like this?

The trio entered the massive hall and approached a throne where a man was sitting on a seat at the base of a throne, which sat higher up. "Hail, Denethor, son of Ecthelion. Lord and Steward of Gondor." Gandalf said.

Denethor did nothing. He didn't even look up at them. All he did was stare at something in his lap. So Gandalf continued. "I come with tidings in this dark hour. And with counsel."

"Perhaps you come to explain this," Denethor finally said looking up at them and showing them what looked to be a broken horn of sorts. "Perhaps you have come to tell me why my son is dead."

Remembering how Boromir had died trying to save him and Merry, Pippin moved in front of Gandalf and began to talk. "Boromir died to save us, my kinsman and me. He fell defending us from many foes."

Aria and Gandalf watched as Pippin moved futher up and knelt before Denethor. "Pippin…" Gandalf warned. But it was too late.

"I offer you my service, such as it is in payment of this debt," Pippin said.

"This is my first command to you. How did you escape and my son did not? So mighty as a man as he was?" Denethor asked.

"The mightiest man may be slain by one arrow and Boromir was pierced by many," Pippin answered.

As soon as Denethor heard that, the pain was visible on his face. Gandalf moved forward and hit Pippin with his staff so that the hobbit would move out of the way so that Gandalf could talk to Denethor once again. "Get up!" he said to the hobbit.

Turning back towards the Steward he said, "My lord, there will be a time to grieve for Boromir but it is not now. War is coming. The enemy is on your doorstep. As steward, you are charged with the defense of this city. Where are Gondor's armies? You still have friends. You are not alone in this fight. Send word to Théoden of Rohan. Light the beacons."

"You think you are wise Mithrandir. Yet for all your subtleties you have not wisdom. Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor and with your right you would seek to supplant me. I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh yes, word has reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And I tell you now. I will not bow to this Ranger from the North. Last of a ragged house long bereft of Lordship."

"Authority is not given to you to deny the return of the King, steward," Gandalf said with force. Aria couldn't help but stare down Denethor at this point. She was fighting every urge not to say something to him – he had not only disgraced the memory of her father but also disgraced her entire lineage.

At that point, Denethor jumped up angrily and moved closer to Gandalf. "The rule of Gondor is mine and no others!"

By then Aria was just fed up with this nonsense. "That isn't even your call to make. It is the high council's. Besides there is already is second in line to the throne behind Aragorn." Aria said stepping forward.

"And just who do you think you are?" Denethor asked.

"Lady Aria, daughter of Arathorn, Princess of Mirkwood," Gandalf quickly said, moving in between them.

"An elf?" Denethor asked a bit confused.

"No," Aria answered. "I just married one."

She was about to open her mouth to say something else, but the look that Gandalf gave her made her rethink that. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the hall. Gandalf turned after her. "Come!" he called to Pippin.

* * *

"All had turned to vain ambition. He would use even his grief as a cloak! A thousand years this city has stood and now at the whim of a madman it will fall! And the white tree, the tree of the King will never bloom again." Gandalf said venting as the trio walked through the courtyard towards the tree of the King where the guards stood around it.

"Why do they still guard it?" Pippin asked. Even Aria was curious about that.

"They guard it because they have hope. A faint and fading hope that one day it will flower. That a king will come and this city will be as it once was before it fell into decay. The old wisdom born out of the west was forsaken. Kings made tombs more splendid than the houses of the living and counted the old names of their descent. Dearer than the names of their sons," Gandalf said as they walked towards the parapet at the end, where Haldir and Tauriel were waiting for them. "Childless lords sat in aged halls musing on heraldry or in high, cold towers asking questions of the stars. And so the people of Gondor fell into ruin. The line of Kings failed. The white tree withered. The rule of Gondor was given over to lesser men."

Out in the far distance, surrounded by dark mountains sat Mordor. Aria could feel the evil pouring from that place. She hoped that this would be the closest she ever got to it.

"Mordor," Pippin said.

"Yes, there it lies," Gandalf said. "This city has dwelt ever in the sight of its shadow."

"A storm is coming," Pippin said.

"This is not the weather of the world. This is a device of Sauron's making. A broil of fume he sends ahead of his host. The Orcs of Mordor have no love of daylight, so he covers the face of the sun to ease their passage along the road to war. When the shadow of Mordor reaches this city it will begin." Gandalf said looking down at the hobbit.

"Well…Minas Tirith…very impressive." Pippin said looking up at Gandalf. "So where are we off to next?"

"Oh it's too late for that Peregrin," Gandalf said looking towards Mordor. "There's no leaving this city. Help must come to us.

Haldir reached out and took ahold of his wife's hand and squeezed it gently. He only hoped by the time that Mordor's forces reached the city that he would be well enough to pick up a sword once again. Gondor would need all the help they could get.

As Aria stood watching the darkness spread from Mordor, she silently prayed that somehow the darkness could be stopped. It would take a miracle to do even that.

* * *

After getting settled into their quarters that night, Aria could do nothing but toss and turn. She tried feeling for her husband's presence through their bond, but he was just too far away. Resting her hands on her baby bump, she sighed contently. Connecting with the twins would just have to do. Closing her eyes, she felt for their 'little stars' as she often called them. She smiled as she felt their presences brush against hers.

A few days ago, Gandalf had told her and Legolas that he was certain she was going to have a boy and a girl – just like she and Aragorn had been. And the more that Aria felt her children's growing presence within her the more that she felt that Mithrandir was right. She was going to have a boy and a girl. She could only imagine what her and Legolas' children would look like.

Would they have his hair color and her eye color? Her hair color and his eye color? Or a mixture of both.

They still had several months left until they would find out, but the prospect of being parents scared Aria. Would she be good enough? Would she know what to do with two elflings at once? She was going to have to have a long talk with her ada. No. She was going to have to have a long talk with Talia. That was who could best help her out.

A soft knock on the door brought Aria out of her thoughts. She got up and opened the door just a crack as she held a knife in the hand that was against the door – you could never be too careful – and peered around the edge of the door.

Standing on the other side of the door was someone she never thought that she would ever see again – let alone looking relatively good for the age she should be.

"Mara!"

* * *

Early the next morning, Gandalf lead Pippin though the streets of Minas Tirith. "Peregrin Took my lad, there is a task now to be done. Another opportunity for one of the Shire folk to prove their great worth," he said leading the hobbit to the base of a great watchtower. "You must not fail me."

Pippin nodded as he ran over to the face of the cliff and began to climb up towards the beacon so that he could dump the burning lamp onto the straw and set it on fire. Once he did, he watched it satisfaction before realizing that he needed to get down or else the flames would trap him as well.

Far below, Gandalf smiled with satisfaction as soldiers began to scurry around him in astonishment watching the beacon burn.

"The beacon! The beacon of Amon Dîn is lit." a solider said.

"Hope is kindled." Gandalf said with a laugh, knowing that he was pleased with himself.

* * *

"So this is how you are going to get your brother to the city?" Mara asked turning to look at Aria as they, along with Tauriel and Haldir stood watching the beacons light up across the White Mountains from the highest courtyard of Minas Tirith.

"Yes," Aria said with a smile.

"And you are sure that he is going to assume the throne. The people of Gondor need him."

"There's too much at stake for him not to," Aria said reassuringly. "Trust me."

The previous night when Mara had shown up at Aria's door, the two friends spent the entire night talking. Aria had come to find out that her friend was of Dúnedain descent as well. For most of her life, Mara had spent it moving from city to city in Gondor trying to fit in. She had never settled down and had a family nor had she found a place to belong until she moved to Minas Tirith several years ago. It was here that she heard rumors that the King would be returning soon. She had always known that the line of the Kings of Gondor were of Dúnedain descent – only to find out that one of her friend's brother was in line to be king.

"I hope so. That was why I made sure to come and find out when I saw you riding through the streets yesterday."

"And I am glad that you did."

* * *

One by one the beacons were lit across the White Mountains, signaling that war had come to Minas Tirith and to Gondor. Finally the last one was lit on the mountains just outside Edoras. Aragorn who was sitting outside that Great Hall spotted the beacon go up in flames. He sprinted into the Great Hall, shouting.

"The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit!" he yelled breathless as the king and his generals turn to look at him. "Gondor calls for aid."

The entire hall was silent while awaiting Théoden's decision.

"And Rohan will answer! Muster the Rohirrim!"

Éomer bowed to him then left to begin to assemble the Rohirrim.

Aragorn sighed in relief as he spotted Gimli and Legolas in the hall as well. He knew that they were both relived – especially Legolas. Aria had been gone for almost five days and now they were finally about to head towards Minas Tirith. Hopefully all of this would soon be over.

* * *

_**AN: I've decided to end the story here…..no more Aria…no more story…..**_

_**APRIL FOOLS!**_

_**Mwhahahaha gotcha didn't I? I promise that I will finish. =D**_

_**Oh the reason that Aria told Denethor that she was only married to an elf and not a half elf was that she didn't want to have to explain herself...just wanted to clear that up before I had questions in my reviews. But she looks human to some because her ears aren't that pointy, just slightly. I hope that makes sense. **_

_**Next chapter in a few days!**_


	40. Chapter 40

_**Disclaimer:**__** I only own Aria….the rest is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 40:**_

Aragorn prepared Brego for the ride to the encampment at Dunharrow where the Rohirrim were assembling for the final ride to Minas Tirith. Next to him Éowyn was preparing her horse as well. "Do you ride with us?" he asked.

"Just to the encampment. Its tradition for the women of the court to farewell the men," she said continuing to tend to the needs of her horse.

Sensing that there was more to this, Aragorn lifted the blanket of her horse to reveal her sword. She quickly snatched it back from her before turning to look at him. "The men have found their captain. They will follow you into battle. Even to death. You have given us hope," she said smiling at him.

He sighed as he turned away from her with a feeling of uneasiness settling over him. He had a feeling that this might happen and it was not what he wanted. Too much was already at stake.

He worried about Frodo and Sam during their trek into Mordor.

He worried about Aria and the twins.

He worried about Arwen and whether or not she actually sailed.

He just hoped that in the end everything would turn out for the best.

He turned his attention towards his friends who were preparing for the journey as well. He watched from a distance as Merry offered his service to Théoden as an esquire of Rohan, who gladly accepted it. Then he turned to look at Gimli and Legolas who were engaged in a small conversation nearby, as they sat on the back of Arod waiting to leave.

"Horse men! I wish I could muster an army of dwarves, fully armed and filthy," Gimli said.

"Your kinsmen may have no need to ride to war." Legolas answered. "I fear war already marches on their own lands."

Aragorn sighed again. Had Sauron's reached spread that far north into Mirkwood already? And even as far as Erebor? Could Legolas sense it? Surely not.

Yet who was he to know the inner workings of the elves? Perhaps Legolas could. If that was the case, then what could Aria feel?

* * *

Aria screamed out in pain and arched her back.

"Is there nothing you can do for her?" Haldir asked with a look for concern on his face.

"No." Tauriel said, gently rubbing a damp cloth along her forehead. "Mithrandir said that there is nothing we can really do for her. The only real thing that can help her is to defeat Sauron."

Aria moaned again and slowly opened her eyes as she looked up at her two friends. "Osgiliath has fallen. Darkness now spreads into Mirkwood and near Erebor. I fear that Minas Tirith is next…"

"Shh," Tauriel said. "You know that Mithrandir will not let that happen. Nor will your brother. He will get here in time."

"I hope so…" Aria wearily said as she closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep.

Haldir stood up and walked to the nearby window. "You know she's right. Osgiliath has fallen," he said peering out of it towards the west. In the distance he could see, men on horseback fleeing from the garrison back towards the white city.

"She's rarely wrong when it comes to visions. Sometimes about their meaning she its but not what she sees."

* * *

"Boromir was loyal to me! Not some wizard's pupil!" Denethor shouted at his youngest son as he stumbled back against his chair during his confrontation with Faramir over loosing city of Osgiliath and letting the ring into the Mordor.

"Father?" Faramir asked worriedly.

Denethor looked up at his son and instead of seeing Faramir, he saw an image of Boromir smiling behind him. "My son!"

As the image of Boromir moved towards Denethor, it faded away. In grief, Denethor turned and looked at Faramir with a face full of grief for Boromir yet hate for Faramir. "Leave me," he snarled.

Faramir did just that. As he walked out of the hall into the courtyard, he wasn't paying attention and walked right into a young woman who was walking across the courtyard. She stumbled slightly, but quickly caught herself.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said looking at him. "But I can tell that you are not."

"How can you tell?"

"You weren't paying attention to where you were walking," she said. "Oh we haven't met before, I am Lady Aria."

"The Princess of Mirkwood?" Faramir asked.

"One of them. There are three of us."

"But you are not an elf."

"That is correct. I am a human." Aria said with a smile. "In any case, how does a man of the west know about the Mirkwood elves?"

"Father made my brother and me know information about all the royal families. Oh excuse me, I am Faramir. Son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor," he said bowing his head slightly to her. She smiled at him softly.

"Now are you going to make me guess at what is bothering you? Or are you going to tell me since you just about knocked me over?"

Faramir sighed. "It's nothing really. Just my father. You'd understand if you've met him. But I've must be going. It was nice to meet you."

He turned and began to walk away from her. "Wait Faramir!" she called.

He stopped and turned around.

She walked towards him. "Whatever your father says to you about your brother being better than you or even bring him the ring is a lie. What you said is true. Your brother would have kept it for himself."

And with that she turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Faramir behind.

* * *

"Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor in peace or war, in living or dying, from…from this hour henceforth until my lord release me or death take me." Pippin said as he recited his allegiance to Denethor.

"And I shall not forget it! Nor fail to reward that which is given," he said offering his ring to Pippin to kiss – which the hobbit hesitantly does. "Fealty with love. Valor with honor. Disloyalty with vengeance. I do not think we should so lightly abandon the outer defenses. Defenses that your brother long held intact."

"What would you have me do?" Faramir asked. He had been standing by, watching the entire ceremony.

"I will not yield the River and Pellenor unfought. Osgiliath must be retaken."

"My lord, Osgiliath is over run."

"Much must be risked in war. Is there a Captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?"

"You wish now that our places had been exchanged. That I had died and Boromir had lived."

"Yes, I wish that." Denethor said as he drank from a goblet.

"Since you are robbed of Boromir I will do what I can in his stead," he said bowing as he turned to leave the hall. "If I should return, think better of me father."

"That will depend on the manner of your return."

* * *

"Faramir! Faramir! Your father's will has turned to madness! Do not throw away your life so rashly!" Gandalf said as he and Aria pushed their way through the crowds as Faramir and his troops rode through the streets of Minas Tirith back towards Osgiliath to retake that city as Denethor had commanded.

"Where does my allegiance lie if not here? This is the city of men of Numenor. I will gladly give my life to defend her beauty, her memory, her wisdom." Faramir said.

Gandalf and Aria stood by and watched as they soldiers rode out.

"Your father loves you Faramir. He will remember it in the end." Gandalf softly said.

As Aria stood there watching with Gandalf, she felt her chest tighten. She reached for the wizard as her knees buckled and darkness surrounded her.

* * *

**AN:**** I hope that ya'll liked the midweek chapter! I promise a longer one this weekend! I'm forgoing sleep for this chapter, so reviews would be nice! Plus I'm in a great mood because I know that I won't be surplused and I will have a job next year! YAYAYAYA! (This is always a worry of mine this time of year) =D**


	41. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer**_**: Aria is mine….everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 41:  
**_

Théoden and Aragorn stood looking down upon the thousands of Rohan soldiers that had arrived for the mustering of the Rohirrim from their high encampment.

"Six thousand spears," Théoden said wearily. "Less than half of what I had hoped for."

"Six thousand will not be enough to break the lines of Mordor." Aragorn said.

Théoden turned to look at him. "More will come," he replied.

"Every hour lost hastens Gondor's defeat. We have until dawn then we must ride."

The king nodded before turning and walking away. Aragorn sighed as he turned back to look at the Rohirrim far below. There just were not enough men. To his side he felt movement, as if someone moved to stand next to him. He turned his head to see – but no one was there.

'_Do not lose hope,' _a voice whispered. _'I have faith in you…_'

Aragorn closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. That voice that had just whispered to him was Aria's. But how could it have been? She was in Minas Tirith. Unless…

He quickly turned and went in search of his friends. Legolas would know if something was wrong with his sister. It did not take him long to find the elf. He was with Gimli near the mountainside that camp was set up near. The closer her got to the mountain, the more he noticed that the horses were restless. He approached his two friends who were standing near Éomer who was saddling his horse.

"The horses are restless and the men are quiet," Legolas said aloud as he took in what was going on around him.

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain," Éomer added.

"That road there," Gimli asked. "Where does that lead?"

"It is the road to the Dimholt. The door under the mountain," Legolas answered.

"None who venture there ever return. That mountain is evil." Éomer said before he walked away.

Aragorn couldn't help but feel drawn to that mountain somehow. He could almost make out a figure of sorts in the shadow of the mountain. It was almost as if this shadowy figure was beckoning towards him – wanting him to take the road into the mountain – to walk past the ancient Pukel men carvings and into so called Paths of the Dead.

"Aragorn!" Gimli said, causing Aragorn to jump a bit. He looked down at his dwarf friend to see what he wanted. "Let's go find some food."

He nodded but quickly turned back towards the mountain to see if the shadowy figure was still there. But it was gone. He turned and followed his friends on their quest to find some food. As they walked among the men who were busy either sharpening their weapons or talking among them, Aragorn still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Aria. Part of him wanted to bring the subject of Aria up to Legolas, yet he also knew that by asking questions about the bond between Legolas and Aria might cause a panic in the elf. He already knew that Legolas was worried enough about Aria and the twins as it was. Perhaps some food and rest was what he needed.

* * *

"There," Éowyn said adjusting the helmet on Merry's head. "A true esquire of Rohan."

Feeling pleased with his new position as an esquire, Merry drew his sword from its scabbard and held it out. "I'm ready!" he said.

His sudden movements caused Éowyn to jump back in her seat slightly and laugh a bit as she held up her hands to Merry.

"Sorry," he sheepishly said. "It isn't all that dangerous. It's not even sharp."

He began to closely inspect his sword.

"Well that's no good. You won't be kill many orcs with a blunt blade. Come on," she said leading him out of the tent.

Merry happily lead the way out of the tent, swinging his sword to and fro as he practiced his swipes.

"To the smithy! Go!" Éowyn said, encouragingly. She stood by and watched for a second as Merry ran off to get his sword sharpened.

"You should not encourage him," Éomer said, from a nearby campfire where he sat with Gamling. They both were trying to keep warm in the cool night.

"You should not doubt him."

"I do not doubt his heart, only the reach of his arm," Éomer retorted as Gamling laughed.

"Why should Merry be left behind? He has as much cause to go to war as you. Why can he not fight for those he loves?" Éowyn said in a serious tone of voice as she started to walk away from her brother.

"You know as little of war as that Hobbit." Éomer said standing up and walking towards her. "When fear takes him and the blood screams and the horror of battle takes hold. Do you think he would stand and fight? He would flee. And he would be right to do so. War is the providence of men, Éowyn."

Éomer placed his hands on his sister's shoulders before turning and walking away from her. She simply stood there for a moment before. Did he actually know what she was planning on doing?

A cool breeze rushed through the campsite quickly. She shivered for a moment before turning. That was when she heard a whisper.

'_Let your heart guide you towards the path that you know to be right…' _the voice whispered.

Then the voice was gone like the breeze.

As Éowyn turned from and walked back toward her tent, it suddenly dawned on her whose voice she had heard.

Aria.

Yet Aria had left days ago. How was this possible?

She was probably just tried. She needed a good night's rest before she put her plan into motion in the morning.

There was no way that this shield maiden was being left behind.

* * *

Legolas sighed as he stretched out his legs along a sturdy tree branch and leaned back against the trunk of a tree. He had not been able to do this for some time. Placing his hands behind his head, he turned his face up towards the stars and watched them.

What he wouldn't give to be holding Aria at that moment. He always loved to hold her close and watch the stars with her. They had not done this in a long time.

It had only been handful of days since she had left with Gandalf and the others for Minas Tirith, yet everyday apart from her was agony. The years spent apart, when he thought her to be dead, was pure torture. Yet this was somehow worse.

Now he knew that his wife was alive.

He knew that she was in harm's way.

He knew that he should be by her side but instead he stay with Aragorn as she had requested that he do.

He closed his eyes and felt for her through their bond. Quickly he found her warmth, along with the soft lights of the twins. The longer he stayed connected to her deeply through their bond the more he felt that she was there with him. It felt like she was gently running her fingers through his hair.

'_I give you my strength,' _she whispered to him in their bond. _'I keep enough for the twins and I...'_

He tried to reply through their bond, but found that he couldn't. It was almost as if their bond was cut once again. Yet this time, he didn't feel cold and alone – he still felt the warmth. He knew that Aria was still alive, but something seemed off.

It was almost as if Aria was weaker. Was the darkness that was spreading from Mordor finally taking its toll on her?

He hoped that it wasn't. Not only for her sake, but for their twins as well.

Movement near the steep path approaching camp caught his attention. What was a rider doing out this late, let alone coming into their camp? Perhaps he and Gimli should go check it out.

* * *

_Images moved through his dream. He saw Arwen lying against her bed in Rivendell, Aria's soft grey eyes fading into nothing, the Pukel men carvings and the entrance to the Dimholt. _

'_I choose a mortal life,' he heard Arwen whisper. 'I wish I could have seen him one last time…'_

_The image of Arwen faded from his dream as he watched in horror as the Evenstar pendent fell to the ground and shattered. _

Sitting up in a cold sweat and drawing his sword, Aragorn gasped a bit for air. A Rohan solider stood at the doorway of his tent. "Sir?" the solider said. "King Théoden awaits you my lord."

Aragorn shook away the memory of the dream as he pulled on his boots and followed the solider to the king's tent. As Aragorn entered, he found Théoden talking to a hooded figure. The king glanced up at Aragorn then back at the hooded figure. "I take my leave," the king said, leaving Aragorn in the tent alone with the hooded figure.

Once the king was gone, the hooded figure stood up and removed the hood as he turned to face Aragorn.

"My lord Elrond," Aragorn said bowing.

"I come on behalf of one whom I love. Arwen is dying. She will not long survive the evil that now spreads from Mordor. The light of the Evenstar is failing. As Sauron's power grows her strength wanes. Arwen's life is now tied to the fate of the Ring. The Shadow is upon us Aragorn. The end has come."

"It will not be our end, but his."

"You ride to war but not to victory. Sauron's armies ride on Minas Tirith, this you know. But in secret he sends another force, which will attack, from the river. A fleet of Corsair ships sails from the South. They will be in the city in two days. You're outnumbered Aragorn. You need more men."

"There are none."

"There are those that dwell in the mountain."

Aragorn briefly remembers the vision from earlier in the day of the shadowy figure that he saw beckoning towards him at the mountain. It had to be the King of the Dead. "Murderers, traitors. You would call upon them to fight? They believe in nothing. They answer to no one."

"They will answer to the King of Gondor," Elrond said as he pulled out a sword from inside of his cloak and held it out towards Aragorn. "Andúril, the Flame of the West, forged from the shards of Narsil."

Without hesitation, Aragorn took the sword and held it in his hands. It felt right. "Sauron will not have forgotten the sword of Elendil," he said as he withdrew the blade from its scabbard. "The blade that was broken shall return to Minas Tirith."

"The man who can wield the power of this sword can summon to him an army more deadly than any that walks this earth. Put aside the Ranger. Become who you were born to be. Ónen i-Estel Edain."

"Ú-chebin Estel anim," Aragorn answered as he sheathed the sword.

* * *

Whispers had made their way through camp that a mysterious visitor had come to see Lord Aragorn, only to leave a short time later. And now Aragorn was about to leave as well.

As soon as Éowyn had heard these whispers, she immediately went in search of Aragorn to see if they were true or not. She was disheartened to find them true when she found Aragorn finishing putting his saddle on Brego.

"Why are you doing this? The war lies to the east. You cannot leave on the eve of battle. You cannot abandon the men," she said approaching him.

"Éowyn…"

"We need you here."

"Why have you come?" he gently asked. He had to know if Aria had been right about Éowyn's feelings all along before he left to go to the Paths of the Dead and then into battle.

"Do you not know?"

Ah. Of Course. Aria had been right. "It is but a shadow and a thought that you love. I can not give you what you seek," Aragorn gently said. He meant it too. His heart belonged to Arwen. It always would. Perhaps that was the little bit of elvish blood in him – he could only love one fëa.

Hearing Aragorn's words, Éowyn backed away from him upset. Seeing that she was upset, he sought to comfort her a bit more. "I have wished you joy since I first saw you," he said as he touched her face before turning and walking away leading Brego behind him. Éowyn stood there and cried.

Silently Aragorn walked through the camp with Brego until a familiar voice stopped him. "Just where do you think you're off to?"

He turned and looked towards the voice. Gimli was sitting next to a tent looking up at him. "Not this time. This time you must stay Gimli."

"Hmmmm."

"Have you learnt nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?" Legolas said as he walked up beside Aragorn with Arod all saddled up.

"You might as well accept it," Gimli said. "We're going with you laddie."

Aragorn couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Théoden and the soldiers watched as Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli disappeared on horseback down the Dimholt Road. Many of the soldiers were confused as to why they were leaving. "What's happening? Where is he going? I don't understand," was what many of them asked.

"Lord Aragorn! Why does he leave on the eve of battle?" was what others asked.

"He leaves because there is no hope," Gamling answered.

"He leaves because he must," Théoden corrected him.

"Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor." Gamling said, still trying to argue his point.

"No we cannot," Théoden said, shaking his head. "But we will meet them in battle no the less."

* * *

Éowyn stood looking out into the distance as her mind replayed the events of the last few days. She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug and her uncle approached her.

"I have left instruction," he said moving next to her. "The people are to follow your rule in my stead. Take up my seat in the Gold Hall. Long may you defend Edoras, if the battle goes ill."

"What other duty would you have me do my lord?"

"Duty?" he said shaking his head as he moved towards her. "No. I would have you smile again, not grieve for those whose time has come. You shall live to see these days renewed and no more despair."

He gently held her head in his hands and placed his forehead on hers. Éowyn closed her eyes. She hoped that in the end what she was doing would make her uncle proud.

* * *

Aria lay motionless on the bed. If her friends did not know any better they would have thought that she was sleeping. But that wasn't the case.

No one knew what was exactly wrong with her. Ever since Gandalf had brought her back to her room unresponsive, no one had been able to figure out what was wrong with her.

All they knew was that she was not dead.

Her breathing was steady. Her heart rate was steady. And she had no fever. Just to be extra sure, Gandalf had a healer come and check out Aria and the babies. He had made up some story that she had fallen and was resting. He just wanted to make sure that whatever affliction had taken ahold of Aria had not taken ahold of the babies.

Thankfully, the babies were fine.

It still begged the question, what was wrong with Aria?

* * *

The entire journey into the Dwimorberg had been folly. Aragorn had not been able to convince the King of the Dead and his Dead Army to join him in their fight. He even promised them their release from their curse. The only response they had been given was a shower of human skulls falling around them as they ran out of the cave, as it seemed to flood with thousands of the skulls.

They emerged into the sunlight on the mountainside over looking the Anduin River. Down below ships could be seen on the river with a nearby town in flames. They were too late. He sank to his knees in despair as tears stung at his eyes. Behind him, Legolas gripped his shoulder in support. All three friends were upset. They all knew without the Dead Army, there was almost no way to save Minas Tirith.

A sound behind them makes them turn around. Out of the mountainside, the King of the Dead appeared. He approached the trio.

"We fight!" he said.

* * *

_**AN:**__** Ok so it wasn't as long as I wanted, but that just means that perhaps there will be another chapter tomorrow! Woo hoo! So enjoy! Oh! For now on when I'm going to write a nice smexy scene, its going to be posted on a different story called – Reflections: The Alternative Chapters. I will be sure to let ya'll know when that happens. So far its only chapters 10, 17 and 30 that have been changed. That's all for now!**_

_**Ónen i-Estel Edain. **__**(I gave hope to the Dúnedain)**_

_**Ú-chebin Estel anim. **__**(I have kept no hope for myself.)**_


	42. Chapter 42

_**Disclaimer: I only own Aria…Everyone else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 42:**_

Across the plains, thousands upon thousands of orcs lined up in formations. All of the readying to attack the city of Minas Tirith. Osgiliath had fallen. The soldiers that had gone with Faramir were slaughtered, and the only body to return to the white city was that of their captain being dragged by his horse. The orcs had even used catapults to launch the heads of the fallen Gondorian soldiers into the city.

Once the horse was safely within the city gates, one of the soldiers had placed Faramir's body on a stretcher so that he could be taken to the highest level to his father.

"Quick hurry!" Irolas, the commander in charge of the city soldiers said.

Once they were at the upper most level, Denethor and his attendants with Pippin and Gandalf behind them met them in the courtyard.

"Faramir! Say not that he has fallen!" Denethor said in a panic as he approached the stretcher where Faramir lay.

"They were outnumbered! None survived," Irolas answered.

Standing close to Gandalf, Pippin watched the scene in front of him. Faramir had treated him with nothing but kindness when he had met him. He felt sorry for him at the way that his father had treated him.

"My sons are spent!" Denethor said as he staggered away from the stretcher that bore his son's body. "My line has ended!"

As Denethor moved away from Faramir, Pippin ran up to the captain and touched his face. That was when he could tell that Faramir was still alive. "He's alive!" the hobbit cried out. But no one paid him any attention.

"The house of Stewards has failed," Denethor said, seemingly in a daze of sorts.

"He needs medicine my lord!" Pippin said, trying again.

"My line has ended."

"My lord!"

By that point, Denethor had reached the edge of the parapet and looked over the wall at the massive orc army below. He saw trolls putting boulders into catapults and readying them for battle. "Rohan has deserted us!" he cried as he watched in horror as the catapults were let loose upon the city. The places that were hit by the boulders began to crumble down upon below on the lower levels that were fleeing for their lives.

"Théoden's betrayed me!" Denethor said before he began to yell at the soldiers below. "ABANDON YOUR POSTS! FLEE! FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES!"

The soldiers below look confused and begin to leave their posts, doing at they were told. Satisfied with his order, Denethor turns around, just as a large white stick hits him in the face. Gandalf hits him again in the stomach with his staff and then hits him across the back to knock him down to the floor.

"Prepare for battle!" he yelled out to the fleeing men. "Hurry men! To the wall! Defend the wall! Over here! Return to your posts!"

The soldiers quickly did as the White Wizard said.

Leaving Denethor's unconscious body with his attendants and Pippin, Gandalf rode down to one of the lower levels on the back of Shadowfax to rally the soldiers. "Send these foul beats into the abyss!" he ordered as the Gondorian soldiers launched their catapults at the orc armies.

The Siege of Gondor had begun.

* * *

"I should be out there with Mithrandir." Haldir said glancing out the window. "I know that I am recovered and strong enough to use a bow and arrow."

"But what good is that in close hand to hand combat?" Tauriel said as she sat on the side of Aria's bed, gently dabbing her friend's forehead with a damp cloth. "I have a better idea. I go and fight, while you stay here and take care of Aria. I can at least fight in close quarters."

"It is I who should be protecting you." Haldir said turning to look back at his wife.

"And what about Aria? Who would stay to protect her and the twins? You would actually leave me here to go out and fight, while leaving my princess – let alone my best friend – vulnerable to an attack?" Tauriel said, as she stood up and moved towards her husband. "What if something else were to happen to you? Do you think that any of the healers in Minas Tirith know how to treat elves? I almost lost you in once. I cannot bear the thought of loosing you to the hands of Sauron!"

Tears spilled down Tauriel's cheeks as she tried her best to stop them. But it was no use. They continued to fall. She had shown emotions like this in front of her husband before, but it was always few and far between. Haldir crossed the space between them and pulled his wife into his arms. "I'll stay," he whispered as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "But if the fight comes to us, then I am going to fight."

She nodded in his arms. "As will I."

* * *

There was nothing but cold the surrounded her. She had been here long enough and had gotten a bit used to it. But she knew that she would not be able to last much longer. Her strength was dwindling fast.

The entire reason she was stuck in the Shadow World was because she had been pulled here so to speak. She did not know how it happened. The only thing she could remember was that darkness surrounded her and when she woke up, she was on the other side of things. She could see and hear her friends. Yet only communicate with them through whispers. She could even feel her bond with her husband. That gave her comfort at least.

That meant there was still a chance to get out of this place.

Who had pulled her here?

Had she done this to herself?

Perhaps paying a visit to Sauron himself would help her find the answers she needed.

* * *

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli stood along the shore of the Anduin River, waiting for the Corsair ships to pass by them. As they did, Aragorn called out to the mercenaries.

"You may go no further."

The boson of the first ship stood up to see who was talking to them.

"You will not enter Gondor." Aragorn said adding to what he had first said.

"Who are you to deny us passage?" the boson asked.

"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the boson's ear." Aragorn said without turning to look at his friend.

"Mind your aim," Gimli added.

Legolas quickly fitted an arrow into his bow and took aim. But just as he released the arrow, Gimli knocked the bottom of Legolas' bow, which sent his aim off. Instead of sending the arrow where he had aimed for, the arrow killed a mercenary standing next to the boson. Legolas turned and glared at Gimli, who had put a hand up to his mouth just as Aragorn looked over at Legolas.

"Oh!" Gimli said. "That's it, right, we warned you. Prepared to be boarded!"

"Boarded? By you and what army?" a mercenary asked as the others laughed.

"This army," Aragorn said as the King of the Dead and his army emerged through Aragorn and the others to attack the ships.

* * *

"Ow!" Sam groaned as he slid down the remaining stairs. He couldn't help but cry some more. He had come all this way. Damn near to Mordor – all for what? To have his best friend turn on him for some lying, vile creature!

He slowly sat up and as he did he spotted the remains of the lembas bread, still partially in their leaf wrappings, sitting on a nearby rock. Reaching for one, he held it in his hand before crushing it in anger.

He had been right all along.

Gollum had done this.

'_Do not let anger cloud your decisions, Master Samwise,'_ a gentle voice whispered to him.

Looking all around him, he could see no one else with him. Yet the voice he had heard sounded so familiar. He had heard this voice before, but he could not place it. He glanced back up the stairs that he had come down. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he took the advice of the whisper.

If he was going to help Mr. Frodo, then he would have to do it calmly.

* * *

"The scouts report Minas Tirith is surrounded. The lower levels in flames. Everywhere, legions of the enemy advance," Éomer said as the Rohirrim were stopped by a lake taking a quick break before finishing their ride into Minas Tirith.

"Time is against us," Théoden said. "Make us ready!"

Sitting nearby, yet still far enough away so that she would not draw attention was Éowyn and Merry. She had over heard the conversation between her brother and uncle. "Take heart, Merry. It will soon be over."

"My lady. You are fair and brave and have much to live for and many who love you. I know it is too late to turn aside. I know there is not much point now in hoping. If I were a knight of Rohan capable of great deeds…but I'm not. I'm a Hobbit. And I know I can't save Middle Earth. I just want to help my friends: Frodo, Sam, Pippin. More than anything I wish I could see them again. I even wish that I could see Lady Aria once again. I heard her voice whispering to me last night to be brave at what was to come," he said smiling up at Éowyn.

Éowyn said nothing to Merry about the whisper that she had heard from Aria as well. Her attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere.

"Prepare to move out!" Éomer announced.

"Make haste," the king announced. "We ride through the night."

A nearby solider sounded a horn to rally the riders. Éowyn and Merry put on their helmets as they prepared to ride against as well.

"To battle," she said.

"To battle," he answered.

* * *

The main gate of the city had fallen to the armies of Mordor as they continued to rain fireballs down upon the helpless city.

"Retreat! The city is breached! Fall back to the second level! Get the women and children out. Get them out! Retreat!" Gandalf yelled from the back of Shadowfax.

Soldiers hurried people through the gates before closing them to the next level before orcs moved into the city.

As the fighting continued to move up the levels of the city, a little hobbit ran down amongst the chaos and confusion. He had just witnessed Denethor beginning to set a funeral pyre for his son – when in fact his son was alive. Pippin had tried to tell the steward that, but he would hear none of it. Instead he had released him from his service and told him to die in what way seems best to him. Pippin then knew that Gandalf was the only one who could save Faramir. That was why he was running back into this madness. "Gandalf!" he cried. "Gandalf! Denethor has lost his mind. He's burning Faramir alive!"

"Up! Quickly!" he said grabbing ahold of the hobbit and pulling him up on to Shadowfax as they took off to the upper levels. As they came out of a tunnel, the Witch King met them as he sat upon the back of his fell beast in front of them.

"Go back to the abyss! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your master!" Gandalf said as he held his staff in front of him and Pippin.

"Do you not know death when you see it, old man?" the Witch King said. "This is my hour!"

Behind Gandalf, Pippin screamed as the Witch King's sword burst into flames and caused Gandalf's staff to burst asunder in his grasp. This caused him and Pippin to be thrown from Shadowfax's back.

"You have failed! The world of men will fall," the Witch King said as he lifted his sword to strike Gandalf, but a sound in the distance caught his attention. He quickly flew off on the back of his fell beast.

As Gandalf and Pippin climbed back onto Shadowfax, they looked out into the distance to see what had caught the attention of the Witch King. With a sigh of relief, a small smile crossed the Istari's face before urging Shadowfax forward towards the Tombs of the Kings of Gondor – the Riders of Rohan had arrived.

* * *

Across the skyline of a nearby hill, the Rohirrim lined up in formation. The horsemen advanced first with their king leading the way. Théoden stopped to assess the situation before turning to his men.

"Courage Merry," Éowyn whispered to the hobbit she held tightly against her as they waited for instructions. "Courage for our friends."

"Éomer, take your Eored down the left flank," the king ordered.

"Flank ready!" Éomer replied.

"Gamling, follow the King's banner down the center. Grimbold! Take your company right after you pass the wall. Forth and fear no darkness!" Théoden said as he gave orders to his commanders. He then turned to face all the men. "Arise! Arise riders of Théoden. Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered, a sword day, a red day ere the sun rises!"

Across the front line of riders, the Rohirrim prepare for battle by lowering their spears. The orcs that have prepared to meet them have lowered their pikes as well.

"Whatever happens, stay with me," Éowyn whispers to Merry again. "I'll look after you."

Merry couldn't help but smile, as he looked around at all the soldiers. Here he was preparing to go into battle. If Pippin could see him now…

As a last minute attempt to rally moral support, Théoden rode in front of the men and ran his sword along their spears. "Ride now, ride now! Ride for ruin and the world's ending! DEATH!"

"DEATH!" the men shouted.

"DEATH!" Théoden shouted again.

"DEATH!"

"DEATH!"

"DEATH!"

"DEATH!" Merry and Éowyn shouted together.

"Forth Eorlingas!" Théoden shouted as horns were sounded and the army began to move forward with their king leading the way. They riders broke into a gallop the closer they got to the orcs as the orc archers prepared to fire on the riders. The closer the riders got to the orcs, the more some of the became. Eventually the Rohirrim smashed into their lines and began to slaughter them left, right and center.

The battle raged on.

* * *

Traveling in the Shadow World was good for one thing – getting to places faster. She stood at the base of Barad-dûr and glanced up at the massive structure looming in front of her. She knew that a weakened Sauron sat in there, waiting for the One Ring to return to him. That was why he sent his armies out across Middle Earth. He wasn't physically strong enough without that wrenched ring to do anything.

That was why he lusted after it so.

That was why it had to be destroyed.

Most thought that the all seeing eye that watched from atop the tower was Sauron. But that was merely his symbol that was used to strike fear into the hearts of men. Yes, she did fear Sauron. But right now she just wanted him gone for good. Perhaps she could help him along his way.

As she took another step towards the tower, she suddenly felt a tug against the back of her dress and she felt as if she was being pulled back from the Shadow World.

Suddenly everything went black around her.

* * *

The day had been long.

Yet the day had been won for men.

But in the end there had been losses. Denethor had died at his own hand – thanks to the madness that had taken over him that he had masked as grief. King Théoden had been lost in a battle against the Witch King.

Yet in the end, for every loss there were also gains. Faramir had been saved by Pippin from his father's madness. Éowyn and Merry had defeated the Witch King. And the Army of the Dead had been released from their burdens with Aragorn holding their oaths fulfilled for helping in the fight against the army of Mordor.

Over all, the biggest gain of all came for the Kingdom of Gondor. Their king had returned.

* * *

'_Aria…'_

She moaned slightly as she pushed herself up off the cool tile floor. She squinted as she was surrounded by bright white light. "Did I die again?" she asked aloud to herself as she stood up.

"Far from it," a voice replied from behind her.

She turned around and was face to face with Manwë himself. She quickly bowed and turned away from the Valar. She couldn't look at him. She knew that she had failed her task that he had set her upon. He chuckled slightly.

"You did not fail me young one," he said tilting her chin up to face him. "In fact, you have inspired all those who you whispered to while you were in the Shadow World. Courage and bravery can help defeat Sauron as well."

"Then why have you brought me here?"

"I want to give you something to take back to Middle Earth. Olórin will know what it is. This is to show that that Valar have not forsaken the men and elves."

Manwë took ahold of Aria's hand as a green gem appeared in it. It was set in an eagle shaped brooch. It reminded Aria of the Evenstar that Arwen had given Aragorn, but this seemed much different.

"This is the Elessar," Manwë said. "It belongs to the rightful ruler of Gondor. Make sure that he gets it."

"I will," Aria said with a smile. "But I have a question or two before I go."

"What is that young one?"

"How did I get pulled into the Shadow World?"

"It's all in your mind – dreams. As much as Irmo did not want to do so, he helped with this. We knew that if we didn't then Sauron would."

"Are my children going to be ok when this is over?" she then asked placing her hands gently on her stomach.

The King of the Valar gently placed his hands over hers. "Your twins will both grow up strong and blessed. And yes, your son's fëa was reborn. It was the right thing to do after Saruman's treachery."

Tears weld up in the corners of her eyes as she smiled.

"Is there anything else?"

"Is my task complete?" she finally asked.

"As long evil is in the hearts of men in Arda your task will never be complete. Now its time for you to go back. There's someone waiting for you…"

Aria felt her eyes grow heavy as she felt warmth surround her. In her hand, she tightly clutched the Elessar that Manwë had given her.

A gentle stroke along the side of her face, followed by a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Aria, please meleth nin. Open your eyes for me," a familiar voice whispered.

Legolas. That's who was waiting for her.

She slowly opened her eyes to find her husband's piercing blues watching her attentively. She smiled at him as she brought up her hand to trace the side of his face. "I've missed you."

"As have I," he said leaning over and kissing her deeply on the lips.

After their kiss, he helped her sit up in bed. "What's this?" he asked, finding the Elessar laying on the comforter next to Aria.

"It's a long story," she said as she picked up the brooch and held it in her lap. "But how long have you been here?"

"Several hours. It's early into the next day," Legolas said motioning towards the window. It was dark outside. "Tauriel and Haldir explained to me what happened to you. After a while of sitting next to you and just holding your hand, you began to move. That was when I began to talk to you more."

"That was what Manwë meant by someone was waiting for me," she said with a smile on her face.

"Manwë?"

She nodded. "That's who gave me this," she said holding up the brooch. "It's for Aragorn. Gandalf is supposed to know what it is…"

She went on to explain to him about being in the Shadow World and talking to all her friends. He told her that he had felt her presence at the time when she had talked to him.

"I'm just glad that you and the twins are safe," he said placing a hand on her growing baby bump.

"As am I," she said leaning forward and kissing her husband deeply.

They both knew that this was just a brief pause in the final battle against Sauron. Plans were still being made for a final assault against Mordor. Yet for now all that could wait.

* * *

_**AN: I know that I didn't go into a lot of explanation about the battles….it was either do a summary since we all know the outcome and get the chapter up tonight or wait until tomorrow. I chose get it done tonight. So enjoy and let me know what you think!**_

_**I hope that you understand what happened to Aria – if you don't here is a quick explanation: she was basically pulled into the world between living and dead. You know the world were Frodo goes when he puts on the ring? Yeah, there. She was put there by Irmo and Manwë – two Valar. They could control her then instead of being pulled there by Sauron. I hope that makes sense. Until next time! REVIEW!**_


	43. Chapter 43

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine…everything else belongs to Tolkien.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 43:**_

Aragorn wearily walked the halls of the Citadel. He had just journeyed up from the Houses of Healing where he had spent the last several hours healing all those who needed his assistance. It had been an old lore in Gondor that when the king returned to the throne of Gondor that he would have the hands of a healer.

'_Perhaps that was why Gandalf suggested I go down to the Houses of Healing for a time…_'Aragorn mused to himself as he walked towards the room that had been set aside for him as king. While he had openly declared himself King of Gondor – it wasn't official yet. He still had to be crowned. But that was all a formality, but he still didn't want to step on anyone's toes. Especially Faramir's.

While he had healed the young Captain in the Houses of Healing, along with Éowyn, he still had not officially talked to the former Steward of Gondor's son. Even that didn't matter to him at the moment. The only thing he wanted to do at that moment was to see one person and make sure that she was ok. And that one person was the one person he had been worrying about for the last several days.

Aria.

He turned the corner and found the door to the chambers that Aria and Legolas shared were ajar a bit. He softly knocked and waited a moment – not wanting to intrude on anything. He knew that as soon as the battle had ended and Legolas had heard of Aria's plight that he had immediately left to be at her side. That had been hours ago.

As he waited for someone to answer, Aragorn rested his head against the doorframe and closed his eyes as he thought over the last few hours. He had held the Army of the Dead oaths fulfilled, met with Gandalf and been in the Houses of Healing – never once hearing anything about Aria's condition. He knew that if it had been grave, then Legolas would have sent for him.

A tired voice brought Aragorn out of his thoughts. "I never gave up hope or my faith in you. I knew that you would be successful."

Aragorn opened his eyes and looked towards the sound of his sister's voice. She smiled at him and held her arms opened. He embraced her and kissed her forehead before taking a look at her. He noticed that her baby bump had begun to show more.

"They've grown," he said with a smile.

"That is an understatement. My dresses are getting too tight." Aria said turning from the doorway and allowing her brother into her chambers. "And my traveling clothes are uncomfortable as well."

Aragorn couldn't help but smile at her as he entered the room. He noticed that Legolas was sitting on the bed, still fully dressed. He wondered if his brother ever relaxed. When Aria went to sit back on the bed with him, Aragorn did notice that Legolas pulled Aria close to him – so perhaps he had been wrong. Legolas could relax when given enough privacy. He sat down in a nearby chair.

"So what happened?" he asked.

Aria sighed. She went on to explain about being in the Shadow World just like she had done with her husband a few hours ago.

"When I heard your voice whisper to me a few days ago, I thought that you had been injured or worse." Aragorn admitted to her.

"Believe me, there were times that it felt that I was going to die. Especially when the Witch King was close by." Aria said, sighing.

"Thankfully he's been killed." Legolas said, looking down at his wife in his arms.

"How?" Aria asked looking at her husband and then to her brother for an explanation. "No man could kill him."

"A man did not. Éowyn did." Aragorn said. "And now she is resting comfortably in the Houses of Healing along with Merry. Besides this is her story to tell."

Aria smiled to herself. Manwë had been right. Courage and bravery can defeat evil.

"Now get some rest," Aragorn said standing up. He had only wanted to make sure that his sister was safe and no other maladies had taken her.

"Wait! I have something for you!" Aria said standing up as well. She crossed the room to a chest of drawers and opened the top drawer. Aragorn watched as she took out something that was wrapped up in a cloth of some kind. She unwrapped the cloth as she walked back towards him.

"This is the Elessar," she said handing him the golden eagle shaped brooch. "Manwë gave it to me to pass on to you. It is to show that the Valar have not forsaken men and elves."

Aragorn took the brooch from her and studied it. The candlelight glistened off the green gem. He had heard that name before – _Elessar_.

Elfstone?

Lady Galadriel had called him Elessar before – several times in fact. Had she known that this brooch would come into Aria's possession?

"I was told that Gandalf would know something about it." Aria said.

"If that is the case, then you keep if safe for me until all of this is over," he said handing it back to her.

She nodded as she wrapped the brooch back up in the soft cloth and placed it back in the chest of drawers. She then turned and looked at her brother once again. "Get some rest, Aria. I do not want to have to tend to you when there are so many others needing healing," he said placing his hand against her cheek as he moved towards her. "I need your help in the Houses of Healing tomorrow."

She nodded.

Aragorn bid Legolas good night before turning to leave the room.

As the door to their chambers closed, Legolas pulled his wife close to him. "He is right, meleth nin. You do need rest. Healing others is going to take a lot out of you tomorrow."

She nodded as she allowed Legolas to lead her back to bed. Once she and Legolas were settled into bed, she found that sleep evaded her. There were too many things on her mind. She knew that tomorrow was going to be a long day. Not only was she going to be tending to those that needed her in the Houses of Healing, but it was also going to be the first day that she and Aragorn would be seen together – he the King of Gondor and she, his twin sister.

Yet, she could not help but wonder – what would her role become? Up until that point, she and Aragorn had always seen each other as equals when it came to certain matters. Now things were suddenly different. Sure she had been a Princess of Mirkwood for close to 70 years, while Aragorn was the Chief of the Dúnedain. But this was completely different.

Often in the past, Aragorn had turned to Aria for advice and she had done the same. Now with him becoming king would he be allowed to turn to a woman for advice? Would his so-called "advisors" allow him to do that?

That was what worried her.

"Aria…" Legolas softly mumbled into his wife's hair as he readjusted his hold around her.

"Hmm?"

"Everything will work out. Stop fretting and try to sleep," he said pressing a kiss into her hair. "You were the one who got Aragorn here. He will not turn his back on you."

Aria smiled as she curled more against her husband's warm body and allowed sleep to take her. She hoped that he was right.

* * *

"Who is she?" Ioreth, the head healer, asked Gandalf as they stood by and watched Aria and Aragorn move around the Houses of Healing. She was amazed that a young woman knew about the healing properties of the Athelas plant. Yesterday she had been shocked when the new King had asked for the plant, but now with this young woman working with it – it was all a bit interesting.

"Lady Aria of Mirkwood," Gandalf said.

"Yet she is no elf. She is a human."

"She is also the King's twin sister."

Now things were beginning to make sense. Ioreth watched the siblings for a few more minutes. She noticed that certain things that the King did when healing someone, his sister did as well – even if they did not know it. It was things like the tilting of their head or the placement of their hands. Nothing major, but if Ioreth could tell that the wizard was not lying when he said that they were siblings.

* * *

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight," Gandalf said as he turned to face those that were gathered in the Great Hall – Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Éomer, and Haldir. Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, a principality of Gondor, was there as well. He and his soldiers had arrived towards the end of the Battle of Pelennor Fields. At Aragorn's request, Aria and Tauriel had joined the gathering as well. Éomer and Prince Imrahil objected at first, but seeing the faces of the other men, they quickly backed off with their objections. "The darkness is deepening," the wizard said finishing his thought.

"If Sauron had the ring, we would know it," Aragorn said.

"It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor, our enemy is regrouping." Gandalf added.

"Let him say there! Let him rot! Why should we care?" Gimli said as he sat in the black seat of the Steward at the base of the King's throne. He was smoking his pipe.

"Because 10,000 orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom," Gandalf said pausing. "I've sent him to his death."

"No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that." Aragorn said turning to look at Gandalf.

"How?" Gimli asked.

"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate."

As Aragorn suggested this, Gimli choked on the smoke he had inhaled from his pipe. This was suicide that was being suggested. Aragorn looked up at his sister. He knew what he was basically suggesting was a vision that had haunted her since they were very young. Thinking that he would see horror on her face, instead he saw a smile. Had something in her vision changed? He would have to wait and find out.

"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms." Éomer said.

"Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves."

"A diversion." Legolas added.

"Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?" Gimli asked.

"Sauron will suspect a trap," Gandalf said turning his back towards the others so he could talk to Aragorn alone for a second. "He will not take the bait."

"Oh, I think he will."

* * *

Later on that night, Aragorn stood alone in the Great Hall. Sitting on the stairs in front of the throne, covered by a cloth, was the Palantir. He walked towards he and uncovered it. He closed his eyes before picking up the orb and holding it in front of his face. As he opened his eyes and looked into the orb, he found himself face to face with the Eye of Sauron, which is speaking in the tongue of Mordor.

"Long have you hunted me. Long have I eluded you. No more!" he said as he held up Andúril in front of the Palantir. "Behold, the sword of Elendil!"

Aragorn watched as Sauron appeared in the middle of the pupil of the Eye. He showed Aragorn an image of Arwen, who was dying, followed by another image of Aria's lifeless body mangled from the pain that Sauron could inflict on her. In horror, Aragorn dropped the Palantir and stepped back. But as he did, the Evenstar fell from his neck and shattered on the ground.

He stood there for a moment. Was this a sign of things to come? If he and the others failed, would Arwen and Aria suffer as well?

Was attacking the Black Gate really worth it?

"You know the vision has changed," a voice said emerging from the shadows.

Aragorn quickly turned with Andúril pointed out in front of him. Aria stood next to a pillar and smiled at him. He sighed as he lowered his sword.

"What is it that you see?"

"I've never been able to see a future beyond that vision. But now I can. Just remember that that Valar have not forsaken you," she said turning and leaving her brother standing in the Great Hall.

* * *

"They are moving," Legolas said with a smile as he felt a small kick against his hand followed by another. He leaned up and kissed Aria's lips as she lay against the bed.

"They just started moving when I was walking back here," she said with a smile. "I thought that you would want to feel them before you left with the others in the morning."

Legolas couldn't help but continue to smile as he moved his other hand to his wife's exposed stomach. When Aria had been pregnant the first time, he had loved the feeling of their son moving underneath his touch – but feeling two of them moving was even more interesting.

"Our children will grow up strong and blessed." Aria softly said. "And you were right. Our son's fëa was reborn."

"How do you know?" Legolas asked looking up at her.

"Manwë told me," she said with a smile on her face.

"Did you hear that little stars?" Legolas asked, directing his question to Aria's stomach. "You were blessed by the Lord of the Valar!"

Aria couldn't help but laugh as she felt the twins only begin to move around more.

* * *

Aria stood at the end of the parapet of the seventh level of Minas Tirith watching the Army led by her brother, file out of the city and head towards the East – towards the Black Gate of Mordor. She was even proud of him for wearing the King's armor of Gondor into battle with the emblems of the kingdom on them – the White Tree with Seven Stars above it and a Crown above that.

Pippin and Merry both had insisted on going into this battle. Aria and Aragorn had been hesitant about letting Merry out of the Houses of Healing, but eventually gave in. And Tauriel was even more hesitant about letting her husband right into the battle as well. But eventually she relented as well.

"Word will be sent as soon as the battle is over." Tauriel said moving next to her.

"I know."

"But I do have some sad news."

Aria looked up at her friend for whatever she was about to tell her. "Mara's body was found on the lowest level under some rubble that the soldiers were clearing away a few hours ago. I knew that you were wondering what had happened to her."

"Thanks for letting me know." Aria said forcing a smile across her face. That was when she noticed something about Tauriel. Something that her ada had noticed about her about five months ago. "Do you feel well, Tauriel?"

"Not really," the red-haired elf replied. "Why do you ask?"

Aria simply smiled as she took ahold of Tauriel's hand and led her back towards the quarters that she and Haldir had been sharing. "Just let me check something out on you before I return to the Houses of Healing. It won't take me but a second."

* * *

_**AN**__**: And I'll just end there. I'm sure you can figure out what is wrong with Tauriel! =D**_

_**Anyways, review my dears! **_


	44. Chapter 44

_**Disclaimer: Only Aria is mine. Everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 44:**_

Aria couldn't help but smile as she made her way into the small courtyard just outside of the Houses of Healing.

Her best friend was pregnant! It was almost as if the Valar were beginning to bless her and those she loved. Perhaps this was a sign of things to come. She could always hope.

A tender scene in front of her made her stop her advance into the courtyard. She moved behind a tall stonewall and watched in silence the scene that was unfolding in front of her. She saw Faramir moving towards Éowyn as she looked out over the city.

"The city has fallen silent. There is no warmth left in the sun," Éowyn said as Faramir approached her from behind. "It grows so cold."

"It's just the damp of the first spring rain," Faramir said as he moved next to her. Éowyn turned to look at him. Aria couldn't help but smile as she continued to watch as Faramir looked deeply into Éowyn's eyes and smiled as the shield maiden of Rohan.

"I do not believe this darkness will endure," he said as he took ahold of her hand as Éowyn laid her head against his shoulder. Aria turned away from the couple in silence. She could return to the Houses of Healing later. She would give the Steward of Gondor and the White Lady of Rohan some privacy. Hopefully more than just friendship could develop between them.

* * *

"Are you not worried?"

Aria turned and looked at Tauriel with a smile as they stood looking out towards Mordor. It had been almost a week since the forces of the West had left Minas Tirith. "For the first time in in almost 70 years I am not."

"That makes one of us," Tauriel hesitantly said as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Come," Aria said to her friend. "You are not that far along. Worrying will not do you or your little one any good. It is a long march to the Black Gate. Let me make you some tea and allow yourself to relax. There is little we can do now, but wait."

Tauriel nodded as she followed Aria back towards the King's House where they now had permanent quarters. As they walked a guard stopped them. "My Lady," he said addressing Aria. "Captain Faramir requests your counsel in the Houses of Healing."

"Thank you," Aria said turning to look at Tauriel. "The tea is in my quarters next to the bed. A spoonful is enough for a cup. Drink a cup then relax. I will check on you once I am done in the Houses of Healing."

Tauriel nodded as she turned and headed into the King's House on her own while Aria headed down to the Houses of Healing to see what Faramir needed. She had not spoken to the Gondorian captain since that time he had accidently walked in to her.

She entered courtyard to the Houses of Healing and found Faramir standing along the edge of the wall that overlooked the city. This was almost the same spot that she had watched the tender scene between him and Éowyn unfold the other day. "You sent for me my Lord?" she said moving next to him.

"I've been told that I am to be released tomorrow to return to my duties," he said turning to look at her.

"So I have heard."

"I have no idea how to be the Steward of Gondor. That was never to be my duty. It was to be my brother's!"

Aria looked wide-eyed at him for a moment before taking a deep breath. She led him over to a stone bench and sat him down. She sat down next to him and took a hold of his hands. "Do you think that Lord Aragorn knows anything about being a King?" she asked.

Faramir did not say anything as Aria continued. "He knows how to inspire hope in people. He knows how to make them believe in themselves. But the day-to-day mundane things about running a kingdom, he does not."

"You seem to know our King pretty well."

"I should. He's my brother."

"Brother?"

Aria nodded. "None of this matters at the moment. What matters is are you going to continue to do your office or leave it?"

* * *

After leaving Faramir with his thoughts, Aria went to check on Éowyn. While Faramir was being released from the Houses of Healing, Éowyn still had a few days left. These orders had come from Aragorn who had initially treated her injuries and not Aria, so she was going to go with her brother's original orders.

"Feel like a visitor?" Aria asked as she gently knocked on the half opened door of the room that Éowyn was recovering in.

Éowyn was sitting in a chair that she had moved next to a window. She had been looking out of the window at something but her attention turned to Aria as she walked into the room. "That's fine," she said turning to look at her.

Aria moved towards the window to see what Éowyn was looking at. She noticed that the window looked out into the courtyard and in a perfect line of sight with where Faramir was still sitting. She couldn't help but smile to herself. "I know that you long to be loved by another," Aria said as she stood behind the White Lady of Rohan as she still sat in a chair with her gaze upon Faramir.

"Yet that will never be. His heart belongs to another," she said turning her face towards Aria.

"That doesn't mean that there aren't others who long to be with you as well." Aria said with a soft smile spreading across her face.

Éowyn smiled back at Aria, knowing whom she meant. Who knows where their budding relationship would go. Perhaps Faramir was whom she needed.

"And there is something that I need to tell you," Aria said. "I haven't been completely honest with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Back when you asked me how I knew Lord Aragorn, I told you that I grew up with him. While that is true, there is a bit more to it."

"You're the one he loves?"

Aria laughed a bit. "He loves me in a sense but not like that. I'm his sister."

"Sister?" Éowyn asked a bit confused. "But you married an elf prince, you must be an elf. And when you were first discovered in Rohan, you claimed to be an elf."

"I do that for protection." Aria said pushing her hair behind her ears. "Do I look like an elf like Tauriel or my husband?"

Éowyn looked closely at Aria's features. While Éowyn had to admit that Aria was very beautiful – much like elves were - she looked more man than elf. Plus her ears were not pointy enough. "So why did you lie in the first place?"

"Aragorn and I have been hunted all our lives. Lord Elrond raised us for our protection. It is natural to deny who I really am at times. Often times I can be mistaken for an elf because of my mannerisms. Naturally, I use that for my advantage."

"Why tell me now?"

"Because I trust you," Aria said smiling. "And I don't trust many people."

"How come?"

"That is another story for another time," she said, turning to leave. "Rest now so that you can be released from the Houses of Healing."

Éowyn nodded as Aria left her room so that she could get some rest. Yet even though Aria had told her about being Aragorn's sister, she felt that there was still so much that she was keeping from her. Perhaps someday Aria would fully trust her enough to tell her everything.

* * *

It had been over a week of marching from Minas Tirith. Aragorn had released, without punishment, those who were cowards from the armies to go and defend Gondor and Rohan in other ways then marching on the Black Gate of Mordor. That left less than six thousand men that the Captains of the West had at their command to challenge the Black Gate – even the late addition of 30 Northern Rangers under the command of Halbarad, along with Elrohir and Elladan – still did not give them any advantage over the forces of Mordor.

Aragorn knew that he could not let any of the men see the fear he was feeling as the Captains of the West and their forces lined up in front of the massive iron gate.

"Where are they?" Pippin murmured from behind in front of Gandalf.

Aragorn turned to look at him a moment before getting an idea. He rode towards the black gate with Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Pippin, Merry, Éomer and Prince Imrahil along with a Gondorian standard bearer all rode up close to the gate. The twins and Haldir hung back along the front of the lines of soldiers where the Northern Rangers were.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" Aragorn shouted out. "Let justice be done upon him!"

The group watched as the gate slowly opened and a rider on horseback came out. It was Sauron's Lieutenant who was riding towards them. "My master Sauron the Great bids thee welcome."

They all look at him with disgust on their faces. He was appalling to look it – a Cyclops almost like the great burning eye. "Is there any in this rout with the authority to treat with me?" he then asked.

"We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this. The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return." Gandalf replied.

"Aha! Old Greybeard! I have a token I was bidden to show thee!" he said holding up Frodo's mithril shirt in front of him.

"Frodo!" Pippin cried out.

The Lieutenant threw the shirt at Gandalf who caught it in shock.

"Frodo…" Pippin cried out once again.

"Silence!" Gandalf reprimanded.

"No!" Merry added.

"Silence!"

"The Halfling was dear to thee I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought one so small could endure so much pain. And he did Gandalf, he did," the Lieutenant taunted.

Tears began to weld up in Gandalf's eyes as he clutched Frodo's mithril shirt. Out of the corner of his eye, Gandalf noticed that Aragorn was beginning to move closer on his horse.

"And who is this? Isildur's heir?" the Lieutenant asked. "It takes more to make a King than a broken Elvish blade."

With one swipe of Andúril, the Lieutenant's head was cut cleanly from his body and fell to the ground. "I guess that concludes negotiations." Gimli said.

"I do not believe it," Aragorn said, stubbornly. "I will not."

Within seconds, the Black Gate slowly began to open as orcs began to march through it. "Pull back!" Aragorn yelled to his friends as they all rejoined the ranks.

The soldiers began to look uncertain as the massive orc army began to surround them.

"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!" Aragorn said once he noticed the change in his men's demeanor. He rode out in front of them to address them. "So ns of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see it in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you to stand! Men of the West!"

The men, feeling and looking more encouraged, all unsheathed their swords and readied their weapons as Aragorn wheeled his horse around to face the oncoming army. Even Pippin and Merry readied their weapons and prepared themselves for battle. They were not going to go down without a fight. They were doing this for Frodo and Sam.

Eventually the entire Army of the West was surrounded by orcs.

"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an elf," Gimli said, trying to bring a bit of humor to the situation.

"What about side by side with a friend?" Legolas said looking down at the dwarf and smiling.

"Aye! I could do that."

* * *

A teacup shattered on the tile floor. Followed closely by a pair of knees that dropped to the ground in disbelief.

"My lady!" a servant said rushing to Aria's side.

Tauriel had heard the glass shatter as well and came running down the hall. Either something was wrong with Aria or she was having a vision.

She found the servant kneeling next to Aria's side, asking her what was wrong and getting now response. Aria was starring straight ahead without blinking. "She's going to be just fine," Tauriel, said helping the frightened servant up and out of the room. "I will take care of this mess."

"Are you sure?"

Tauriel nodded and shut the door before turning back to Aria who was still in the same position that she had been in. She knew that it had to be a vision. But it was rare that Aria had a vision like this. Typically they came to her during dreams or in glimpses. Nothing like this.

Unless…

The battle had begun.

That had to be it.

And Aria was sensing it.

* * *

Wanting to fight on foot instead, Aragorn stood ready at the front of the army. Suddenly he felt the Eye of Sauron on him. "Aragorn!" it called out to him. "Elessar!"

He moved towards the Black Gate almost mesmerized before shaking it off and turning to look back at his friends with a smile on his face. Gandalf held up Frodo's shirt to help him remember what they were fighting for.

"For Frodo," was all Aragorn said before charging into the orc army with Andúril held high. Merry and Pippin were the first to join in with him followed by the rest of the army. The two armies quickly collide in a fierce battle.

The battle raged on all around them. Legolas had no idea how many orcs he had cut down. Now did he truly care? All he cared about was making sure that he stayed alive to make it home to his wife and unborn twins. He enjoyed the games he and Gimli had come up with on the Fellowship but this time, he could feel Aria's strength tied to his. She was feeding him more and more strength to keep fighting. That was when he heard the greatest sound in the world.

"The eagles! The eagles are coming!" Pippin cried out.

The great eagles were joining the fight to take out the Ringwraiths. That would help their cause an awful lot.

He turned his attention to another part of the battlefield and noticed Aragorn fighting a huge Cave troll. Legolas struggled to get through the crowd of soldiers and orcs as he watched helplessly as Aragorn was knocked down by the Cave Troll. he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he lived and his brother died. Aria would be heartbroken and his wife had already suffered enough in her life already. Luckily Aragorn pulled out a knife and stabbed the troll's foot – but it was to no avail.

Suddenly the Eye of Sauron flares. It looks to the left and to the right in desperation. The Cave Troll stops trying to kill Aragorn, as it looks towards the tower. It quickly realizes that it has been freed and runs off.

All around the battlefield, men and orcs turn towards the sound of Barad Dûr beginning to collapse with the Eye screeching and groaning. Far off in the distance they watch was the great tower collapses to the ground and the Eye of Sauron explodes and sends a huge shockwave outwards.

All the members of the Fellowship watch, knowing what has happened. The little hobbit has been successful. The One Ring has been destroyed.

"Frodo!" Merry shouts with glee. "Frodo!"

Gimli shakes his hands with joy.

The Black Gate begins to collapse around them, orcs try to run away as the ground gave way around them – destroying them. That was when the unthinkable happened.

Mount Doom exploded. That was where Frodo and Sam where.

Merry was shocked. Tears slowly spread down Gandalf's cheeks as Aragorn watched on with concern.

"Frodo…" Pippin said crying.

* * *

Gandalf knew that the two little Hobbits had not perished and so Gwaihir took him into the skies of Mordor to find them. And he found them, lying side by side on a rock. Two other eagles carefully swooped down and picked up Frodo and Sam in the talons and carried them to safety out of Mordor.

Their journey was now complete.

* * *

**_AN: I mixed the book and the movies in this chapter –also with Faramir and Éowyn's feelings a bit. There were good things and bad things in both! So I decided to go with the best of both worlds! And with what comes next, I use more of the book. I also know that the Rangers joined Aragorn before the Paths of the Dead – but I changed it and put it here for a reason….you shall see why! Enjoy!_**


	45. Chapter 45

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine – everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 45**_

"You know that your brother wishes fro you to join him at the camp. He will be there for many days," Aria said as she checked the last strap of Argo's saddlebag. Tauriel was waiting for her just outside of the stables.

"I know. Yet I wish to remain here."

Aria turned to face her. "You stay because Faramir is not going."

Éowyn blushed while Aria simply smiled as she mounted Argo. "Your secret is safe with me. I will tell him that you were still healing."

"Thank you."

Aria nodded as she rode Argo out of the stables and joined Tauriel outside. Éowyn moved to the entrance of the stables and watched her two friends leave Minas Tirith for the next few weeks – at least until the coronation of the new king. Aragorn had made it clear that he would not reenter the city until the day of his coronation.

When he had made his decision known, Aria had decided that she would join her brother and do the same. It was still nagging her that she still was not sure about what her role was going to be or would she even have one at all. She had not dared bring it up to Faramir when she had seen him in passing over the last few days when he had been dismissed from the Houses of Healing and was settling into his new role as Steward. Besides it was not even her place.

It was entirely up to her brother.

* * *

It took Aria and Tauriel about a day to reach the camp in Cormallen, just beyond Cair Andros. Word quickly spread through the camp of their arrival and within minutes Legolas and Haldir were by their wives' sides. Tauriel lead Haldir off in one direction, so they could talk privately about a few things, leaving Legolas wondering what was going on and Aria with a smile on her face.

"What was that about?" he asked looking at his wife. "Tauriel never acts like that."

"She has some news for Haldir," she answered, still with the smile on her face. "That is all."

"What would that be?" he asked.

She just looked up at him, still smiling. "They are going to have a little one as well."

Legolas couldn't help but smile back at his wife. He would have never thought growing up that Tauriel would be one who would eventually settle down and have a family. But then again he never thought that he would either. in all the brief glimpses of his future that he had through dreams and visions over the course of his extensive lifetime – compared to Aria's – he never saw anything other than duty to his immediate family. Perhaps that was why Lord Elrond always said that the future was always changing. Now he couldn't imagine a future without his wife and their soon-to-be born twins.

"Come on," he said, leading his wife through the camp, once he had Argo squared away. "Aragorn wants to see you."

* * *

As they walked through the camp, Legolas told Aria about the final battle against Sauron – from the arrival of the Northern Rangers and her brothers to the "negotiations" with the Mouth of Sauron to the bravery of even the Hobbits. Aria was proud of the Hobbits. She had always known that they would do very well on this journey – but what, she had not been sure about.

"Look what we have here, brother!" a familiar voice teased as Legolas and Aria rounded a corner of tents.

"A very pregnant sister of ours!"

Legolas quickly stepped back as her twin brothers engulfed Aria in a hug. He watched the mini reunion of siblings taking place.

"You know now that this war is over, ada is going to want you to come home so that he can make sure that you are fine. He has been worried about you as well as Arwen." Elrohir said stepping back from his sister.

"When you left, he just about sent us after you. But he relented when Glorfindel and Erestor talked him out of it." Elladan added.

Aria laughed. She could only imagine Glorfindel and Erestor lecturing her ada. She wished that she could have seen it.

"After you have talked with Aragorn come and find me," Elrohir said. "I want to make sure that you and the twins are doing fine."

"I will," she said as she took hold of Legolas' out stretched hand as he began to lead her through the camp once again.

* * *

It did not take them much longer until they came upon an opening in the wood where Legolas lead her past knights in bright mail and tall guards in silver and black – both standing tall and proud. The knights and guards bowed as they past by. As they did, Aria noticed that the wood opened up into a field next to the River Anduin, where many ships were drawn up to. Here more men were camped – awaiting orders. Legolas turned her towards an area set back against the woods, where Aria saw three banners set high – the banner of Rohan, the banner of Prince Imrahil, which was a ship swan-prowed on the sea, and in the middle of the two set higher was white tree beneath a shining crown with the seven stars. Below the three banners, three high seats had been built from green turves.

Aragorn sat on the highest of the three seats, while Éomer and Prince Imrahil stood around him discussing something with him. Aria and Legolas stood there in silence for a moment, before Aragorn looked up and saw his sister.

"Gentlemen, this can wait for now," Aragorn immediately said standing up. "We can finish this discussion later."

Éomer and Imrahil nodded as they left.

"I take my leave as well," Legolas said kissing his wife's lips before turning and leaving her with her brother. She wondered why Legolas was leaving. He rarely left her side and she didn't care if he heard what she and Aragorn talked about.

"You know that you didn't have to make everyone leave on my behalf," Aria said as she approached her brother.

"Yes I did. There are still some things that I want to keep to myself, even as king."

Aria smiled as she took in her brother's new look. "This new chain mail and Andúril look is very becoming," she quipped, trying to cover the butterflies in her stomach from all her worry. "Much better than the Ranger attire. This is much more becoming of a King of Gondor."

"And what about you?" he asked.

"What about me?"

"I know that there is something that troubles you," Aragorn said looking down at his sister. "I can see it in your eyes. "

"It's nothing really," she said sniffling slightly as she turned away from her brother. She did not want him to see her feelings. Damn emotions that come with being pregnant.

"Aria…" he said putting a hand on her shoulder and turning her around to face him once again. She did not dare look him in the eyes. "Please tell me what is wrong or else I can get Legolas to tell me for you. I know that he is worried about you. He does nothing but worry about you now. The first thing he wanted to do after we set up camp was ride back to Minas Tirith and be with you. I had to convince him otherwise since I had already sent word for you and Tauriel to join us."

She slowly looked up at her brother as a tear slowly slid down her cheek. "Do you remember when ada told us who we really were?"

Aragorn nodded yes. "You and I both were upset. Ada tried to convince me then to take up the throne yet I refused since I did not know what I wanted. Then I became worried about you since you had not said anything the entire time. That was when I realized you were crying. I said something about a name did not change who you were and that I was still your brother then you snapped at me…"

He paused.

"And?"

"And asked what about when I became king what would become of you," Aragorn said in realization.

"We've been equals in most things. Or if the other has ever needed help or advice, we've always turned to the other first – especially in the last few years. Gondor may gain a king, but I do not want to loose a brother." Aria softly said as tears began to flow freely.

Aragorn wrapped his arms around his sister and pulled her close to him. "I promise that will not happen," he whispered. "I will make sure it does not. I will always trust you over anyone else."

"But will they allow you to do so?" she asked, sniffling through her tears. "Do they want a woman's opinion?"

"I do not care. You have just as much royal blood in your veins. You have every right to be Queen of Gondor as I have every right to be King. Just because they are not ready for that does not mean that I have to listen to them. You got me here, Aria. You pushed me and made me believe."

"Do not isolate those who Gondor trusts just because you do not want me to be hurt," she said stepping back from him and wiping her tears from her cheeks.

"Trust me, I will not isolate anyone. I will be weary of the advice of those who were loyal to Denethor and trust those who I know are going to be loyal to me. I will make this work."

Aria smiled as she sniffled and wiped the new tears from her eyes. Aragorn pulled her into another hug and held her close until he knew that she would be ok. "Hannon le," he whispered to her.

"For what?" she asked looking up at him.

"For never giving up on me."

* * *

_**AN:**__** So Aragorn is going to keep Aria around and use her for advice! Yayaya! So here is some good news! This story is going to turn into a trilogy! Reflections will end with the birth of the twins. I'm not sure how many more chapters that will be since its about 7 months away and I still have several more events to cover before then. But then the second story will talk about the growing families (Legolas/Aria, Aragorn/Arwen, Faramir/Éowyn, Haldir/Tauriel, etc.). And the third will discuss the children as they age and marry and friends pass away as well as love ones go on to the Undying Lands. **_

_**Look for another update this weekend!**_


	46. Chapter 46

_**Disclaimer: I only own Aria – the rest belong to Tolkien!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 46:**_

"A boy and a girl?" Elrohir asked as he examined his sister. "Are you certain?"

"Its what I see in my visions and when I connect with them through my bond. And Mithrandir sees the same thing." Aria said as she sat up as her brother finished his examination.

"Remember 'Ro, that Arwen said that Ada saw that she and Aragorn were going to have a son in the future." Elladan said standing off to the side with Legolas.

"See," Aria said with a smile on her face. "So how are the twins doing?"

"They are just fine," Elrohir said helping Aria stand. "We will be sure to tell ada this when we see him in a few days."

"Excuse me?" Aria asked a bit confused. "You are leaving?"

The twins nodded. "We are going to Lórien. Do you not know what happened in Mirkwood and Lórien?" Elladan said.

"No," she said turning to look at Legolas. "What happened?"

"Sauron's forces from Dol Guldur attacked Mirkwood, Dale and Lórien simultaneously to the attacks of Osgiliath and Minas Tirith. Lórien sustained heavy causalities. I have not heard word from Adar yet, but I do know that they were successful in defending Mirkwood and Dale from being lost, but not without heavy causalities to sides."

"What the fortress itself?"

"Grandmother finally destroyed it and purged the forest of all darkness." Elrohir said.

"I bet it was something to see," Elladan said. "That is why we are leaving. Ada and Arwen are traveling there before coming to Minas Tirith for Aragorn's coordination. We are going to meet them. Haldir and Tauriel are going with us as well."

"Then we are going as well." Aria said.

"No." Legolas firmly said.

"Why not?" Aria asked turning to look at her husband. The twins took that as their cue to quietly leave the tent and allow the couple to discuss things on their own. "Our families could have been hurt or worse, killed!"

"If that was the case, I would have already been called back to Mirkwood, but I have not." Legolas said as he crossed his arms in front of him as he starred down his wife. He already knew that she was not going to give in easily. "But how will it look if the sister of the King of Gondor goes riding off to attend to the needs of elves instead of attending to the needs of men?"

"But I'm a Princess of Mirkwood as well! I've been that for much longer! You're the son of the King of Mirkwood! Your kingdom needs you!" Aria yelled, getting worked up.

"I know that, Aria," Legolas said sighing heavily as he pulled his wife into his arms and held her close to him – trying to calm her down. "As much as I want to return home to make sure that adar and the others are fine, it just is not possible right now."

"There is something that you aren't telling me," Aria asked sensing some uneasiness through their bond. Legolas was trying to hide something from here. "what is it?"

"There are already whispers of a plot to harm the King and his heirs."

"But his heirs would mean our twins."

"Exactly."

"Then why do my brothers leave? Tauriel? Haldir? Why do they leave?" Aria said beginning to hyperventilate. Tears were streaming down her face by that time.

"Shh," Legolas said, moving her towards the cot that was set up in the tent. He gently set her down then knelt in front of her. "They leave so it seems as if we do not know. Halbarad and the Rangers are still here. And your ada sends Glorfindel and Erestor in haste to replace your brothers."

"Then if there is a plot then why bring me here? Would I have not been safer in Minas Tirith?"

"There is not telling how deep this goes. Do not worry, I will not allow any harm to come to you or the twins."

"What about Aragorn?"

"He can take care of himself. Besides Pippin and Merry can guard him. Gimli's been training them in all the best dwarf moves. It's been very entertaining."

Aria laughed. She had to admit – her husband did know how to make her feel better.

* * *

Aragorn and Aria slowly made their way through the healing tents that had been set up in the fields of Cormallen tending to the wounds of the men. Healers from other regions of Gondor had been brought in to help, but either Aragorn or Aria tended to the ones with the most grievous of injuries.

Living up to his promise, Legolas made sure that nothing bad happened to his wife as well. During the times that she was in the healing tents, he would stand off to the side and watch – never staying more than a few yards from her incase something did go wrong. He did not walk around with his bow and arrow strapped to his back, but he did keep one of his dual knives tucked in his belt, which he was just was deadly with that.

Aragorn also took it upon himself to heal Sam and Frodo's injuries that they sustained during their journey into Mordor. As the days turned into weeks after the destruction of the ring, and neither Hobbit had awoken yet, Aragorn was loosing hope that either of them ever would.

"They both had a long journey," Aria said, squeezing her brother's shoulder as he sat by his bedside one afternoon. "Their hearts are strong. Perhaps they just needed some rest."

He looked up at her and forced a tired smile across his face. "I think we all do."

She smiled back at him. "I agree."

* * *

"So laddie, what do you say to a little wager?" Gimli said turning to look at Legolas as he sat around the fire one night with the remaining members of the Fellowship as well as Aria.

"I'm not up for another drinking game," Legolas replied.

"No not that kind of wager. One about your twins."

"Excuse me?" Aria asked.

"I didn't get to finish! I'm betting that the twins will look more like you, lassie then your husband. While I bet that he thinks they will look like him." Gimli said with a smile on his face.

Aragorn and Gandalf chuckled, while Aria turned to look at Legolas. "You know that isn't right Aria! We've never talked about what the twins would look like yet. We haven't had time."

"Yet you have thought about it…"

"What did he want?" Aragorn asked, still laughing a bit.

"What else," Aria said with a smile on her face, trying to repress a laugh. "Them to look like him."

"That is a lie!" Legolas said trying to defend himself. "I want them to be a combination of the both of us!"

By then everyone was laughing.

"Ok, ok," Aria said, finally stopping her laughing. "He really does want a combination of the both of us. But you say that both twins will look like me?"

"Aye," Gimli said nodding.

"Now what would this wager be if that were to happen?" Legolas asked.

"If I win, you go with me to the Glittering Caves." Gimli said.

"And if I win, you explore Fangorn Forest with me," Legolas replied with a smile.

"Now what if it ends in a draw?" Aria asked with a smirk on her face. Both Gandalf and Aragorn picked up on the smirk. "Both of the twins could look completely different from each other. One could have blond hair and one could have brown hair."

"Never though about that." Gimli said.

"If that happens then you both just have to go with each other to the caves and to the forest," Aragorn said.

"There that settles it!" Aria said with a smile. "Now shake on it!"

Legolas and Gimli stood up and shook on their bet. As the dwarf and elf shook hands to seal their bet, Aragorn leaned over and whispered something into his sister's ear. "You know what they are going to look like don't you?"

The only answer he got from her was a smile on her face.

* * *

After the hobbits, Gandalf and Gimli had retired to bed, as well as Aragorn, Legolas found that he still had many things on his mind about the upcoming birth. Aria sat by the fireside with him for a while longer as his mind keep filtering all the things that he could not stop thinking about. She began to fall asleep against his shoulder while he kept on thinking.

Now that the Fellowship was done, he could focus on more important things in his life – such as his family. The main question that was nagging him was where were they going to live?

Now they would have three places to split their time between. In the past, having to go between Rivendell and Mirkwood was hard enough on them both. But now with Gondor thrown in the mix - it would seem that they would spend more time traveling between the three then they would be situated in one place. He was pretty certain the Lord Elrond would be sailing for the Undying Lands soon since the time of the elves was coming to an end and he had been without his wife for so long. But what about his Adar? He knew that his naneth was waiting for him over there and had been for centuries following the loss of his sister during childbirth. He had never told Aria why his naneth had sailed to the Undying Lands. But with Aria getting closer to giving birth, he was beginning to worry that the same thing would happen to her. That something would go wrong with the delivery and they would loose one or both of the twins. He had been heartbroken when his mother had left for the Undying Lands and he knew that if Aria sailed west, he would go with her.

"Remember the twins have been blessed by Manwë," Aria mumbled, half asleep as she lay against his shoulder. "They are protected."

Legolas smiled as he kissed his wife's forehead before picking her up and carrying her off to their tent. He knew that she was right.

How could he have forgotten about the blessings of the Valar on this pregnancy?

That did make him feel better. Yet until the twins were safe and sound in his arms, he would worry. Actually he would probably always worry about them.

* * *

A figure watched from behind a beech tree. They watched as the elf prince carried his pregnant wife to their tent for the night. It would have been the prefect time to strike, but the plan had changed. Somehow, word had gotten out about a plot against the new king and his heirs. Instead they were just going to observe how the new king and his so called "family" interacted with each other.

Then when the time was right, they would attack.

They would not know when.

They would not know how.

They would do it when the king and his family least suspected it. Just when they thought they were safe and secure in their new home.

* * *

_**AN:**__** Did you really think I wouldn't have some drama in there? Heck no! Gotta have some bad dudes! Also with the coronation stuff, I decided to use the book more than the movie, but there will be elements of the movie thrown in. So it's a mixture of both - but that will be in a few chapters. **_

_**Anyways, this week is state testing for my kiddos, which means no lesson plans and no practice! WOO HOO! Extra writing time! =)**_

_**Leave me some loving, since this week is gonna suck at work! But that just means I am gonna want to come home and write for ya'll! Thanks to the Cretin for being my 450**__**th**__** (along with my 400**__**th**__**) reviewer! YAYAYA! **_


	47. Chapter 47

_**Disclaimer:**__** Aria is mine – Everything is belongs to Tolkien!**_

* * *

**Chapter 47:**

"Minas Tirith?"

Aria nodded as they walked through the woods to the fields of Cormallen the next morning. "Not permanently, just for maybe the first year of the twins life. Then after that we can decide on a more permanent place to live. I know that Ada is not going to stay much longer in Imladris and I do not want to return there without him since it would not be the same."

"What about Mirkwood?" Legolas asked. "Supposedly Lady Galadriel has driven out all of the darkness."

"Perhaps. But all of this is so far off. For now can we just agree to stay in Minas Tirith for at least a year after the twins are born?"

Legolas eyed his wife cautiously. She was hiding something from him. He had only been thinking about this topic the night before. Had she picked up on all of his thoughts? He knew that she had picked up on his feelings of worry with her comment about Manwë's blessings on the twins. Who knew?

"Is there something else you are not telling me?" he asked.

She shook her head no. "at least nothing that I know for sure."

That was it. She had seen a vision of the future and where they would live. "Minas Tirith it is for a year," he said pulling her close and sealing the deal with a gentle kiss.

* * *

Sam's eyes slowly parted and he found that he was lying on a soft bed, with wide beech boughs swaying over him as the soft sunlight gently shone down through the gold and green leaves. The air of full of a familiar scent – a scent that he remembered from his and Frodo's journey to Mordor.

He was in Ithilien!

He sat up in a hurry. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked aloud, seeing Frodo sleeping beside him in the large, comfy bed. At first he had thought that the entire thing was a dream until he saw Frodo's right hand with its third finger bandaged and missing – the same one that Gollum had bitten off. That was when he knew that everything they had gone through had been real. "It wasn't a dream! Then were are we?"

A voice spoke softly behind him. "In the land of Ithilien, in the keeping of the King. He now awaits you."

Sam turned to see Gandalf, now robed in all white with his beard gleaming like pure snow. Standing with him was the young woman who had talked to him and Frodo along with the other members of the Fellowship before they had left Rivendell – if he remembered correctly, Aria was her name. But there was something different about her now. He couldn't tell just what…

"Well Master Samwise, how do you feel?" Gandalf asked.

Not exactly knowing what to ask or say, Sam sat there silent for a moment. Finally he came up with something. "Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. I everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?"

"A great shadow has departed," Gandalf said.

"But how's Mr. Frodo?" Sam then asked. "Isn't it a shame about his poor hand? But I hope he's all right otherwise. He's had a cruel time."

"Yes, I am all right otherwise," Frodo, said sitting up and laughing at his friend. "I fell asleep again this morning waiting for you sleepyhead! It must nearly be noon!"

"Noon? Noon of what day?" It asked.

"The 14th of the new year," Aria said. "Or if you like the 8th of April according to Shire reckoning. But in Gondor the New Year will always now begin upon the 25th of March when Sauron fell and when you were brought out of the fire to the King. He has tended to you, and now he awaits you. You shall eat and drink with him. When you are ready, Gandalf will lead you to him."

Aria smiled at the Hobbits and left them alone with Gandalf.

"The King?" said Sam "What king, and who is he?"

"The King of Gondor and Lord of the Western Lands," sand Gandalf. "And he has taken back all of his ancient realm. He will ride soon to his crowning, but he awaits you."

"Then who was that who just left?" Frodo asked.

"Lady Aria," Gandalf answered. "His sister."

The two Hobbits quickly washed and were clothed in the clothes that they had been wearing when they had been found in Mordor a few weeks prior. Gandalf thought that those clothes were the most honorable for this occasion. He would find them some other clothes for later on.

As Gandalf led the two Hobbits through the camp, Frodo and Sam noticed that whenever they past by soldiers or guards, that they were greeted with honor and bowed to. They were not exactly sure why this was. Then Gandalf led them into a glen where a temporary throne sat. Sitting there alone – was the King of Gondor, waiting for the Hobbits to come and see him. When the two Hobbits saw the newly minted King of Gondor, they could not believe it. Frodo ran to meet him and Sam followed close behind.

"Strider or I'm still asleep!" Sam said happily.

"Yes, Sam, Strider," said Aragorn as he stood up and knelt down to greet the two Hobbits. "It is a long way, is it not, from Bree, where you did not like the look of me? A long way for us all, but yours has been the darkest road."

The King, the Hobbits and Gandalf talked for a few more minutes before being joined by the rest of the remaining Fellowship members. Pippin and Merry were the happiest to be reunited with their friends as the four Hobbits all hugged each other tightly, while Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn and Gandalf watched on. After a few minutes of sharing stories, someone clearing their throat brought the reunion of the Fellowship to an end. Everyone turned their attention to the end of the clearing where Aria stood with a smile on her face – which she always seemed to have.

"They are ready," she said, nodding her head slightly.

Aragorn nodded in return as he took ahold of Frodo and Sam's shoulders and guided them from the small clearing towards the larger one. The rest of the Fellowship followed behind them, as did Aria. Where Aragorn had led them, Frodo and Sam had not expected what they saw. All the soldiers and guards that had remained – both from Rohan and Gondor – bowed as soon as they saw the two little Hobbits enter the clearing with the new King.

Both of the Hobbits had heard words that Aragorn had said about them, but they had stood mesmerized by what was happening. Had all these great men bowed and praised them? Neither could truly believe it or even the fact that a King of Men – let alone their own friend – was singing songs of praise about them to others.

* * *

The rest of the day passed on in celebration throughout the camp. Frodo and Sam were given new clothing that was more befitting to wear in the presence of the King. Then during the great feast that night, they were seated at the King's table with Aragorn and his sister, Lady Aria as well as King Éomer of Rohan and Prince Imrahil along with Gandalf. Gimli and Legolas joined them as well.

When Pippin and Merry joined them for the feast, their attire surprised Frodo and Sam. Pippin was wearing his garb as a tower guard and Merry was wearing his Rohan esquire attire.

"We are knights of the City and of the Mark," Pippin said proudly. Merry nodded in agreement.

As the feast continued, something seemed to trouble Sam. He couldn't help but wonder why Legolas was acting so friendly towards Aragorn's sister. He did not think that any of the members of the Fellowship were married. Besides it looked like King Éomer of Rohan seemed to have an interest in her too, since he talked to her often. This was all so confusing! Too much had happened while he and Frodo were gone. Plus it seemed that she was pregnant! When she had talked to him before the Fellowship had left Rivendell all those months ago, she was not this way.

"Here, let me explain," Merry said leaning over after seeing his friend's confusion. "Lady Aria is Aragorn's sister. She is also Legolas' wife and they have twins on the way. Gandalf says that they are going to have a boy and a girl."

"Then why does she talk to King Éomer so much?"

"Her friend, Éowyn, who remained in Minas Tirith, is Éomer's sister. I figure they are talking about her."

"A lot has changed, hasn't it?"

"More than you realized."

* * *

At last the day ended and the feast came to an end, but the friends continued to talk well into the night. The Hobbits shared their stories with each other about their different adventures around Middle Earth and after a while Gimli, Legolas and Gandalf joined them. Even Lady Aria joined them after a while.

Eventually Gandalf ushered Frodo and Sam off to bed since they were still recovering from their injuries and the other two Hobbits followed suit. Gimli decided that he, too, would turn in for the night. Instead of going to bed, Legolas and Aria took a walk in the woods towards the river, Anduin. Neither of them were tired just yet.

As they walked, Legolas held his wife close to him. "You know Aragorn asked me something interesting today."

"What's that?" she asked looking up at him in the soft moonlight as they walked.

"He asked if I would form an Elf colony in Ithilien to help rebuilt the woods here."

"And?"

"I said that I had to talk to you and Adar first. Yet the woods here are peaceful. I think that they could make a fine home for us and our little stars," he said stopping a short distance into the woods. He turned Aria towards him as he placed a hand against her swollen baby bump. He felt the twins move beneath his hand. "The twins seem to agree. What do you say?"

Aria smiled at him as she leaned up to kiss him. "I agree as well."

* * *

_**AN:**__** Here's a short chapter for midweek! Look for another one sometime this week since it's testing week! That means no lesson for my kiddos! Also some of the dialogue in this chapter came from the book! **_


	48. Chapter 48

**Disclaimer: Aria is mine….everything else belongs to Tolkien!**

* * *

**Chapter 48:**

"Now come the days of the King," Gandalf said as he placed the White Crown upon Aragorn's head. "And may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!"

As Aragorn stood from his kneeling position, all those who had gathered at the entrance to the city could only stare in wonder at their new King. All except one.

A tear slowly rolled down Aria's cheek. She had thought that this day would never come and now it finally had. She only wished that Legolas was here to see it as well. Yet when word had arrived that the delegation of elves would be arriving later in the afternoon on the day of Aragorn's coronation, Legolas decided to stay back with Glorfindel and Erestor and await with them. Aria understood and while part of her wanted to be with her husband, she knew that her rightful place on this day was by her brother's side.

"Behold the King!" Faramir cried out, breaking the silence just before Aragorn – now known as King Elessar – made his way into the city. But before he did, he turned and smiled at his sister who did not stand far away from him. He knew that this was her day as well. He knew that this had been a struggle for her as well.

As the group of who had gathered at the gate made their way through the city towards the citadel with the King, Aria could not help but notice the faces of the people of Minas Tirith. They were jubilant as they saw their new King. Flowers were strewn about the cobblestone streets as they walked. Then something caught Aria's attention on one of the midlevels of the city. There was a group of children gathered with two older women close to the edge of the street. There had to be 8 to 10 children in the group – all various ages, male and female. Some were clean kept and others were somewhat dirty.

Aria turned her attention to this group of children and walked towards them. It was a little girl with dirty blond curls, probably no older than four, who was clutching a bright golden flower that had caught her attention. She had seen this little girl before – in a recent vision of her family…yet she was not a member of her immediate family but extended family. Aria knelt down to the little girl's level. "What's your name?" she asked.

The little girl simply hid behind one of the older women's legs that she was with. "I'm sorry, my lady but Miriel is very shy," the older woman said.

"It's fine," Aria said standing back up. "Yet who are these children?"

"The orphans of Minas Tirith," the other woman replied.

Aria smiled at all of the children before kneeling back down to the little girl named Miriel. She wondered something. Miriel was not a name that men usually gave their children. It was an elvish name.

"Would you like to give your flower to the new King?" Aria asked the little girl as she held out her hand to her. Miriel hesitantly took ahold of Aria's hand and moved from her hiding spot.

"Really?" Miriel asked.

"Yes," Aria nodded. "And you will be my special guest tonight to his celebration."

"Oh you don't have to do that my lady!" one of the older women exclaimed. "I'm sure that you have far too much to worry about."

"It is no problem at all," Aria said. "I promise that she will be back in the morning. Is that alright?"

Both of the older women nodded.

"Come then," Aria said taking ahold of Miriel's hand. "We have a long walk to the Citadel."

* * *

By the time that Aria and Miriel had arrived at the seventh level, there was a throng of people waiting to get into the White Tower and see their new King.

"Look," Miriel said, pointing to the top of the White Tower.

Aria looked up and saw that the standard of the Steward had been lowered and in its place now flew the standard of the King, with the tree and the stars.

"Are you our new Queen?"

"No little one," Aria said looking down at the little girl. "I am the King's sister. Now come and let's take the King your flower."

It was then that several guards took notice of Aria and the little girl. They quickly ushered the crowds to the side so that Aria could make her way into the Tower Hall unimpeded, with the little girl clutching her hand tightly. Once inside, Aria was surprised to find it almost empty except for Gimli, Gandalf and Aragorn all in the Tower Hall. Aragorn was pacing back and forth – almost in a frantic state. As soon as he had heard footsteps he turned in the direction of them and sighed in relief at the sight of his sister.

"I've been worried!" he said crossing the hall to embrace her. "Am I going to have to keep a guard on you when Legolas is not present?"

She looked at him oddly for a second before it dawned on her. The recent whispers of threats against the new King and his family, especially his heirs. How could she had been so stupid?

"I'm sorry," she said. "There is a good reason why I fell behind."

Aragorn stood waiting for her explanation. "First," she said with a smile. "I want you to meet Miriel."

Aria reached out and took a hold of the little girl's hand that had been dropped when Aragorn pulled her into a hug. That was the first time that Aragorn had taken notice of the little girl with Aria. He had been too worried about his sister's whereabouts to notice anything else when she had arrived in the Tower Hall.

Aragorn knelt down to the little girl's level. The little girl shied away and tried to hide behind Aria's legs and extra cloth from her dress. Yet it was to no avail.

"Come little one," Aria said. "Do you have something you want to give the King?"

Slowly the little girl moved from behind Aria's legs and held out the bright, golden flower to the King. "This is a very beautiful flower. Thank you." Aragorn said as he took ahold of the flower.

The little girl smiled as Aragorn stood up. He was about to say something to Aria, but she had moved away from him with Miriel in tow. "Now I'm going to send you off with a guard for a little while. He will take you to a find of mine who will get you ready for the celebration tonight. You have no reason to be scared of them." Aria said. Miriel nodded in agreement. She turned to the guard. "Please take this child to see Iona. Have her cleaned up and dressed for the celebration tonight. She will stay in the small quarters near the Hobbits' tonight."

The guard nodded as he held out his hand to the little girl who took it and was led from the Tower Hall. Aria turned and made her way back towards her brother and now Gandalf, who was looking at the flower that had been given to Aragorn with keen interest.

"What was all that about?" he asked.

"I've seen that little girl in a vision before as part of our extended family," she said. "This flower has only ever grown in one place in Middle Earth. And it has not been seen since the First Age!"

Aragorn turned to look at Gandalf for confirmation at what his sister was saying about the flower. The Istari nodded in agreement. "What she says is true."

"Then where did this flower grow?" Gimli asked joining in the conversation.

"Gondolin." Aria said with a smile.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon and into the early evening went on just as expected. Close to sunset, the delegation of elves made their way through the city streets and up to the Citadel. King Thranduil, Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and Lord Elrond led them. Legolas was not for out of the front either. Yet, the one that Aragorn longed to see and hold stood in silence next to her father. Before Elrond would hand over Arwen's hand to Aragorn, he had one last thing to bestow upon the new King of Gondor.

"The Sceptre of Annúminas," Aragorn said as he accepted the ancient artifact from the elven Lord.

This was the symbol of royalty for the northern kingdom of Arnor since the time of Elendil. Elrond had kept it safe in Imladris since then and now it was time to pass it on.

Once the sceptre had been handed to the new King of both Gondor and Arnor, Arwen moved towards Aragorn and bowed her head. With a smile on his face, Aragorn tilted her chin up towards him and kissed her deeply on the lips. That was when cheers went up from all the elves and men who were present – all but Lord Elrond, who knew that this was one of the hardest things that he was ever going to have to do.

Faramir wanted to announce the impending nuptials of the King right away to the people of Minas Tirith and Gondor, yet Aria stopped him. "Let them enjoy the coronation," she said. "Then in a few days make the announcement. It will give them another reason for celebration."

He agreed with her reasoning.

* * *

"You were reckless," Elrond said hugging his daughter during the Coronation celebration that night. "You put not only your life on the line, yet also your elflings."

"I had to ada. I do not regret doing any of it. And the twins grow stronger every day. Can you not feel them already?"

"Yes I can iell nin. But still it was reckless. Also know that I am proud of you – you and Aragorn both."

Aria smiled and hugged her father again. Slowly life was beginning to feel normal again.

She looked around the Hall of Feasts and noticed elves mingling with men - all drinking, laughing and having a good time. Even Gimli was in the thick of things, drinking and having a laugh with Glorfindel at the moment. Aria briefly wondered if the dwarf and King Thranduil had met yet. Then off to one side, Miriel was playing with some of the little children of some of the guards and Gondor high council members – even the Hobbits were entertaining them.

"You are breathtaking, meleth nin," a voice whispered in her ear as a pair of hands wrapped themselves around her waist and settled on her expanding stomach. A pair of familiar lips found their way to her neck and made a trail of soft kisses from her collarbone to her bottom of her ear. "You are the envy of every woman here and the lust of every man and ellon."

Aria turned and faced her husband as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You have to say things like that because you are my husband."

"No I don't," he said. "I speak only the truth. The men and ellons know not to go after Arwen because she is betrothed to the King. Yet some do not know whom you are married to. That is why they lust after you."

"You know that the ellons do."

"The men do not."

"Well my stomach makes to obvious that I am taken by someone," Aria said leaning in and kissing her husband's lips deeply.

* * *

A figure watched from the shadows of the Hall of Feasts. This was exactly what they did not want. Mixing of elvish and the blood of Numenor. Yes there would always be traces of elvish blood in the lines of royalty. That would be virtually impossible to completely eradicated. Yet they had to start somewhere.

That was only one of the reasons why the new King of Gondor and Arnor along with his horrid family was a target.

The other reason was revenge.

Revenge on her.

Still they would wait until the time was right.

* * *

Glorfindel looked at the small golden flower in disbelief. "This is impossible."

"Nothing's impossible," Aria said as the trio stood off in a corner towards the end of the night. "We've both been sent back by the Valar. Perhaps this was their sign to the both of you that Miriel needs to become apart of your family.

"Perhaps she is right," Erestor said squeezing his husband's shoulder. "she is an orphan who needs our help."

"But an orphan of men. What about when she ages and we do not. Or if we want to sail?"

"Actually I do not think that would be a problem." Aria quickly answered.

"How come?" Erestor asked.

"When she was sitting with me when I was getting ready for the celebration, Legolas wanted to talk to me about something, so we were speaking in elvish. A few minutes later he left the room, then Miriel asked me a question about the conversation that Legolas and I just had."

"That's just one incident." Glorfindel said.

"Then how about this," Aria suggested. "We'll have Lady Galadriel talk to her tomorrow. She will be able to tell."

Erestor and Glorfindel nodded in agreement.

* * *

_**AN:**__** You know I love leaving it on mini cliffies…so will they or won't they adopt Miriel?**_

_**Until next time! Review! =)**_


	49. Chapter 49

_**Disclaimer**__**: I only own Aria, everyone else belongs to Tolkien!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 49**_  


As the days and weeks wore on, life slowly began to become normal once again. Aragorn fell into a routine of his duties as King with many council meetings that occupied most of his time on a daily basis. Aria would join him on occasion, as well as Gandalf. Faramir was adjusting to his role as Steward nicely as well and his relationship with Éowyn seemed to keep on growing in strength. Even though her brother had to return to Rohan, Éowyn stayed behind in Minas Tirith.

Arwen was busy planning her wedding to Aragorn that would take place on Midsummer's Day, which was a little less than two months away. Aria would help her when she could, as would Éowyn. Most of the elves that had traveled to the coronation had returned to their respected elvish kingdoms with the exceptions of Lord Elrond, Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and King Thranduil. They had all decided to stay back for the wedding of Aragorn and Arwen to represent their elvish kingdoms. Glorfindel and Erestor stayed as well. Besides they did not want to simply leave Minas Tirith and take their new daughter away from the only home she had ever known. That might traumatize her.

After taking Aria's suggestion and having Galadriel talk to Miriel, the Lady of Lórien quickly figured out that the little girl was a peredhil – simply by talking to the little girl. Neither Glorfindel nor Erestor questions her, they simply trusted what she said. As soon as they had heard that, it was not a hard decision to adopt the little girl that they had grown to love already.

"I will have two fathers?" Miriel asked when Glorfindel and Erestor told her that they wanted to adopt her and make her apart of their family.

"Yes," Erestor said. "Is that alright with you?"

"You'll be special." Glorfindel added.

"I'm already special!" she said as she launched herself into the awaiting arms to the two elves who simply wrapped their arms around the little girl and all three of them smiled.

Life in general seemed to be perfect as it was going to get for now – Minas Tirith was being rebuilt with the help of men, elves and dwarfs, who were relatives of Gimli. Aria's pregnancy was right on schedule and the twins were developing without problems. And the wedding plans were moving right along.

Yet not everything was as perfect as it seemed.

* * *

Legolas slowly massaged his wife's shoulders as she leaned back against him for comfort. Her body ached all over. Her ankles had begun to swell. Her new dresses were even beginning to get tight once again. She was in between her seventh and eighth months and she still had between four to five months left to go. This was simply not going to work.

"You are too tense, meleth nin," Legolas whispered as he slowly placed several kisses along his wife's spine as he worked out the tight muscles. "What troubles you?"

"Nothing."

"Aria…"

She sighed. "Those stubborn old fools! They refuse to give in to what Aragorn wants and they refuse to even acknowledge the mere presence of a woman in the room!"

"Someone is going to have to budge – either your brother or the council. What does Faramir have to say in the entire matter?" Legolas asked as he stopped his massage and simply held his wife in his arms.

"He would rather not get involved. Yet I think he agrees with Aragorn."

"You do know that you can be rather persuasive. Besides you are older than most of those old fools and will out live all of them. Why not let them know that?"

"That is a good idea," she said turning to look at her husband. She leaned up and kissed his lips softly. "Thank you."

"Always, meleth nin."

* * *

"I do understand that all of these changes have been a bit strenuous," Aragorn said as he presided over the council meeting the next day. "Yet I feel that there are areas that both you as a council and myself do not yet see eye to eye at."

Aria turned to look at her brother with a puzzled look on her face. How did he know what she was feeling? She knew that Legolas had not had a chance to talk to him at all, since he had been with her the entire night and she had come to the council meeting first thing in the morning. Perhaps her brother was just getting better at reading her feelings. She decided to keep her mouth closed and just listen.

"What areas would that be, sire?" Lord Gavin, one of the oldest members of the council asked.

"First being, the rebuilding of Minas Tirith. It took several weeks for anyone of you to agree to even allow the dwarfs to come in and help repair the ironworks in the city as well as the city gate. You seem to be too proud to even understand that there are others in Middle Earth who are better at things than men are."

None of the council members said anything as Aragorn continued. "Secondly, my choice in a Queen. Where in any of the laws does it state that I have to marry a woman from Gondor? Elves can marry whomever they please and it is not looked down upon. Your new princess is a prime example! She married the youngest prince of the Woodland Realm and now she carries his children. The blood of Numenor is all but spent. Unless you want that bloodline to completely die out, new royal blood needs to be added – elvish or not. Now if any of you have a problem if that – then by all means please leave now and I will have Faramir find a replacement for you."

None of the council members stood up. All of them seemed to be frozen in place. Aragorn still was not finished.

"Lastly, the issue of a woman serving as one of my advisors."

"This is where we absolutely draw the line!" Lord Taurkin, another one of the older members, said. "No woman has served on this council!"

"Then perhaps it is about time that you realize something," Aria quietly said standing up and looking Taurkin straight in the eyes across the table. "While every single one of you will wither and age with time, your King will do so at a much slower pace as will I. We will both live two, if not three times longer than all of you. If you do not mind me asking, how old are you Lord Taurkin?"

"What does this have to do with anything?" he snapped.

"ANSWER HER!" Aragorn snapped back, knowing that Aria did not deserve that attitude that she was receiving.

"64…"

"That means when you were born, I had just gotten married to my husband…"

"What's the point of this?" Gavin asked.

"Her point is that this will go one of two ways. You as a council can either learn to accept change because perhaps it is for the good of the people of the Reunited Kingdom or realize that when you pass away, your position on the council will be replaced with someone who agrees with what I am trying to accomplish."

Aria smiled as she sat back down and looked at the faces of each council member as they whispered back and forth to each other.

"We'll accept her on the condition that she is not going to replace the Steward's position." Lord Gavin said.

"That is acceptable." Aragorn said.

Aria nodded in agreement with a smile on her face.

* * *

"So are elf weddings different then humans?" Éowyn asked as Aria and Arwen all sat in a sitting room off of the bedchambers that Aria and Legolas shared. This was where the trio would spend a lot of their time planning things for the wedding.

"Typically," Arwen said. "But neither of us had or would have had a normal elvish weddings."

Aria nodded in agreement.

"Why's that?"

"Well at the time of my wedding, I had suffered a major injury. My ada felt that by marrying Legolas right away instead of waiting the normal year would help in my recovery. Which it did." Aria said.

"And since I am marrying Aragorn, we are forgoing the year long betrothal as well. We've waited long enough." Arwen added. "yet typically the vows are different than ones of men as well as the over all ceremony."

"Which type of wedding are you going to have?" Éowyn asked. "A human or an elvish?"

* * *

Arwen and Aragorn stood across from each other with their hands joined together as Gandalf lead them in reciting vows together. Permanent smiles were etched across both of their faces. In a semi-circle around them stood Elrond, Aria, Legolas, Thranduil, Celeborn, Galadriel and the twins. The couple felt bad for not inviting Gimli and the Hobbits – but this ceremony was meant to be a secret and it too many found out then it might cause a ruckus.

The official wedding of Aragorn and Arwen would be the next day, but Arwen had longed for an elvish ceremony as well. To keep his bride happy, Aragorn surprised her with one. Once Aragorn and Arwen had recited their parts next came the parts with the family. Since Celebrían had long since traveled to the Undying Lands, Elrond would recite the Mother of Bride's part, while Aria would recite the Father of the Groom's part since she was technically the only blood relative of Aragorn's.

"Nai Varda Tintallë laruva ellor Estel-va ar Arwen-va, ar nai Eru Ilúvatar alyuva tet." Elrond said stepping forward.

Next was Aria. "Nai Manwë Súlimo tiruva Estel ar Arwen, ar nai Eru Ilúvatar alyuva tet."

Gandalf held out two silver rings to them as Aragorn and Arwen exchanged them with each other before one last blessing by the Istari with a final kiss to seal their marriage.

"Now if you don't mind," Aria said after the happy couple parted from their kiss. "I'll just be taking those rings back. We don't want anyone to know that you are married already, now do we?"

The bride and groom handed the rings back over without hesitation.

"And now I think we all need to rest." Galadriel suggested, taking her granddaughter by the shoulders. "Tomorrow will be a big day for all."

* * *

"I look like Argo," Aria said looking in a mirror. Her dress looked huge on her and she felt like she was the size of a small horse.

"No you don't." Legolas said pulling her into his arms as he smoothed the dress out against her pregnant stomach. he held his hands there and felt the twins move against his hands. This never ceased to amaze him. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss against her stomach. She smiled at her husband's simple gesture as she ran her fingers through his silky blond tresses. Somehow, Legolas always figured out a way to make her feel better.

After leaving the impromptu ceremony the night before, Aria had begun to feel a bit queasy. Then throughout the night, the twins kept on kicking and moving, not allowing her to get much sleep, thus Legolas did not get much sleep either. Legolas had tried everything he could think of to make Aria comfortable – from a back massage to making her some tea to even the relaxing techniques that her brothers had taught him – nothing seemed to work.

Thankfully the twins had calmed down this morning. Hopefully they would stay that way the rest of the day.

* * *

Minas Tirith was ready for another celebration. In the late afternoon, in front of friends, family and what seemed like almost all the citizens of Minas Tirith, Aragorn married Arwen and she was made Queen of Gondor and Andor.

As the people cheered for their new King and Queen, there was one who smiled and clapped, but had to force tears back.

"It was her decision to make, ada." Aria said as she moved to sit next to Elrond during the celebrations that night. She had been putting off this conversation with him for the longest time.

Elrond sighed. "I understand. Its just hard knowing that after so long, Arwen will never get to see her mother again. Nor will I ever know my grandchildren…"

Aria turned away from him, with tears brimming in her eyes. Never know his grandchildren? What about her twins? What were they going to be to him? Nothing at all?

"Iell nin," he said, sensing that Aria was upset. "I did not mean your children. I only meant Arwen and Aragorn's."

Aria turned back and looked at her ada. "You are as much a daughter to me as Arwen is," Elrond said, placing a hand against Aria's cheek. "Do not forget that."

She smiled as leaned into him for a hug before they turned and watched Aragorn and Arwen take their first dance as husband and wife. By then Legolas had found his wife and stole her away for a dance as well.

As they dance, Legolas could tell that Aria had been upset about something. "Everything alright?" he asked as Aria lay her head against his shoulder.

"Never better," she said with a smile on her face.

* * *

_**AN**__**: We are getting closer to the end! Three more chapters in this story then it is on to the sequel! Here's the translation to what was said during the elvish wedding ceremony:**_

_**Elrond - May Varda Star-kindler hear Estel and Arwen's calls, and may Eru the Father of All bless them.**_

_**Aria - **__**May Manwë Lord of Wind watch over Estel and Arwen, and may Eru the Father of All bless them.**_


	50. Chapter 50

_**Disclaimer:**__** Only Aria is mine – everything else is Tolkien's!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 50**_

Shortly after the wedding of the King and Queen, Frodo approached Aragorn and Arwen, one afternoon as they sat in the gardens, about when he could return to the Shire – for his hear belonged there and he very much missed Bilbo and was sad that he did not come with the other elves from Rivendell.

It was then that he was told that Bilbo was growing weaker due to the ring being destroyed. Frodo begged to leave so that he could be with his uncle before it was too late.

"We shall leave in a few days time when Éomer returns to bear the body of King Théoden back to Rohan. We shall ride with him to honor the fallen. And as an honor for all that you did for the lands, the Shire shall be made free from the realm of Gondor forever." Aragorn said.

"And I have a gift for you as well," Arwen said. "I give you my place on the ship that leaves the Greyhavens with my father for the Undying Lands if you desire it."

Just like Aragorn had said, Éomer did return to the city for his uncle's body along with many of the knights from the Mark. A few days later, the funeral company made ready for their departure from the White City. The Riders of Rohan, led by Éomer and Lady Éowyn, led the procession through the city in silence with their fallen King's body upon a golden bier with the other companions riding behind – according to their stature. Frodo and Sam rode next to Aragorn's side. Gandalf rode upon Shadowfax and Pippin rode with the knights of Gondor, while Merry accompanied Théoden's body. Legolas and Gimli rode upon Arod as they had done throughout the Fellowship's journey, with Aria by their side upon Argo – as well as King Thranduil riding next to them. Arwen rode with them as well since this could possibly be one of the last times she could see her grandparents. She knew that her father and brothers would not yet be returning to Rivendell since Aria would soon be giving birth. Yet anytime with her beloved grandparents would be worth it to her. Even Faramir and Prince Imrahil joined the company as well, along with the elves that had come to Minas Tirith for the King's wedding.

The funeral company was truly impressive. Never had any king of the Mark had such company upon the road as Théoden did on his journey home.

* * *

The long, slow journey to Edoras lasted 15 days. Finally they reached the Golden Hall where the party rested and held a large feast in memory of the fallen king before his funeral was held. Three days after their arrival the funeral was held on the east side of the Barrowfield.

When the burial was over and the weeping as finished, another great feast was held. But this time it was not only in remembrance of the fallen King but also a feast in honor of the new King of Rohan, Éomer.

Even though the Kingdom of Rohan was going through dark times with the loss of their beloved King Théoden, that did not mean that there should not be any joy during the feast at all. Towards the end of the feast, the newly crowned Éomer stood up and addressed everyone who was present. "Now I know that this is a funeral feast for King Théoden, but I have good news and I doubt that he would mind if I spoke of it, since he was like a father to my sister. Faramir, the Steward of Gondor and Prince of Ithilien, has asked for Éowyn's hand in marriage and she has accepted!"

Éowyn and Faramir stood up before all those who were gathered and accepted a toast from everyone for a happy engagement as well as a marriage.

"Now the bond between the Mark and Gondor is more than just friendship," Éomer said turning to look at Aragorn.

"And you are not a stingy person to give Gondor the fairest thing in your realm!" Aragorn answered. He turned to look at Faramir and Éowyn. "I have wished you joy since I fist saw you and now I wish you both nothing but bliss."

The wish from the King of Gondor only set off another round of toasts. Éowyn couldn't help but blush as she leaned against Faramir's shoulder and sighed happily. She had found her happiness.

* * *

It was in Edoras that many goodbyes were said. Éowyn bid farewell of Merry. Arwen bid farewell to her grandparents – not knowing if she would ever see them again before they departed these shores. Legolas and Aria bid King Thranduil goodbye for a few months, while he returned to Mirkwood. He promised to return once the twins had been born and he would bring the rest of the family with him as well. He also promised to send word to the dwarves of Erebor that Gimli needed some of his kin to join him in Minas Tirith to help rebuild the city. Legolas was a bit surprised that he had agreed to do that, yet he sensed that his wife had something to do with it.

And the Fellowship said their last goodbyes to each other. Gandalf and the Hobbits would be returning to the Shire, while Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli would be returning to Minas Tirith.

"Here then at last comes the ending of the Fellowship of the Ring," said Aragorn as he knelt down before the Hobbits. Legolas and Aria stood behind him.

"Well, farewell my Hobbits!" Gimli said. "You should comes safe to your own homes now and I shall not be kept awake for fear of your peril. We will send word when we many and some of us may yet meet at times; but I fear that we shall not all be gathered together ever again."

* * *

It was early August by the time that Aria and Legolas returned to Minas Tirith after the funeral of King Théoden and the departure of their friends. Lord Elrond and the twins had decided to accompany Gandalf and the Hobbits on their journey as far as Rivendell. Glorfindel and Erestor had taken Miriel with them as well so that she could see her new home. They all promise to return in time for the birth of Aria's twins which would be anywhere from the end of August to the end of October.

That did not leave Legolas and Aria began to prepare for the arrival of the twins. They both knew at most they had at most three months, yet Elrond warned them both that since Aria was a peredhil that she could give birth anytime past her tenth month. That would give them a month at most in case the twins decided that it was time to be born. There was no way of predicting these things.

The sitting room that was off the bedchambers that Legolas and Aria shared was where Aria wanted the nursery to be. Several handmaidens in the King's House suggested that a room down the hallway would be better suited for the newborn prince and princess, but Aria would hear nothing of it. There was something deep down inside that was telling her that she needed to have her twins close to her. It was not a vision, just a feeling.

When the workers would not do what she requested at first, she went to a higher authority – her brother. An order from the King to move the furniture and turn the sitting room into a nursery was quickly handled. Once all the old furniture was moved, new furniture had to be moved in.

Legolas took it upon himself to find the best carpenter in Minas Tirith to design and craft the twins' cribs. He not only wanted to best craftsmanship but he also wanted certain things carved into the wood panels – things that represented where the twins had come from. Faramir suggested an older man and his son who lived on one of the lower levels of the city, named Jakes. When Legolas and Faramir visited the man and his son, they were both more than happy to help the new royal family in any way possible. And from the sketches that they drew out of the cribs and the other furniture that they were going to design for the nursery, Legolas knew that they were going to do just fine.

* * *

As the days and weeks dragged on, Aria became more and more moody. She was getting to the point, like in her first pregnancy, that if Legolas touched her then she would snap at him. On one occasion she blamed him for getting her into the mess that she was in before lying down on the bed and sobbing. He knew that she had not meant what she had said; it was just that the unbalance in her own body was getting to her. But this phase did not last long, thankfully. Legolas was not sure how much longer he would be able to last without being able kiss his wife without her glaring at him.

"It is a good thing that we returned when we did," Elrond said as he examined Aria one afternoon in the middle of September. He and the twins had just returned to Minas Tirith that morning. "It is likely that the twins will come very soon."

"I've only carried them 11 months."

"You are not a full bloodied elf, iell nin. We have gone over this before. There is a difference."

Aria bit her bottom lip as she looked up at her husband. She was scared to death. She had been woken up recently by his nightmares of him crying out for his naneth. And while he didn't think that she knew the reason his mother, Elenya, had sailed to the Undying Lands, she really did. Thranduil had told her a long time ago. She had yet to tell Legolas what she knew.

"There is no reason to worry." Elrond said. "Now rest and I will check on you again in the morning since you should not be on your feet that much. I will have something sent up for your dinner."

She nodded as Legolas sat down on the bed and slipped an arm behind her. She leaned up against him and sighed. He pressed a kiss against her forehead. "What is it meleth nin?" he asked as Elrond left them.

"I heard you the other night crying out for your naneth from your sleep. I know why she left for the Undying Lands as well – your Adar told me a long time ago."

Legolas didn't say anything as he buried his face against his wife's neck and gently wrapped his arms around her body. "I can't loose you or our children that way," he whispered against her skin as she felt warm tears splash against her neck. "I'm scared that I will."

"Ada won't let that happen," she said pulling back and placing her hands on both sides of her husband's face. She gently kissed his lips as her fingers wiped away all his tears. "Besides I have had visions well beyond the birth several times."

A small smile crept across Legolas' face. Aria's visions were rarely wrong. That made him feel a little better.

"Now come on, I have something to show you," he said as he stood up from the bed before picking his wife up and carrying her from the room into the nursery.

As they entered the room, Aria gasped. The entire room was furnished! There were two cribs, a cabinet for the babies' clothes, a table where several stuffed animals already sat – gifts from many citizens of Minas Tirith and Gondor and lastly a rocking chair and a footstool. "How did you get all of this?" she asked.

"Faramir suggested a carpenter, who designed it all with his son," he said moving towards one of the cribs so that she could look at the detail along the back paneling. "Both of them are the same."

Aria looked at the back paneling which seemed to tell a story of sorts – there was a Mallorn tree, a bow and arrow, an axe, sword, staff, crown and several stars all carved into the back panel. Even the bars of the crib looked liked branches of a tree.

"Elves, Men, Dwarves, Istari and the stars are for our Hobbits." Legolas said.

"It's beautiful," she said turning her head and kissing her husband's lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sure the twins will love it as well."

* * *

Something didn't feel right. Her back was hurting and so was her stomach. She doubled up the best that she could, but her pregnant stomach prevented that from happening. She sobbed in agony from the pain.

"What is it meleth nin?" Legolas asked waking up. He had briefly felt Aria's pain through their bond. It had woken him up. Aria had only been on bed rest for a few days.

"It hurts. I think it's the twins. Go get ada."

* * *

**AN: It's time! **


	51. Chapter 51

_**Disclaimer: **__**Aria and the twins are mine – everything else belongs to Tolkien!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 51**_

Aria leaned into her husband as he led her towards the Houses of Healing. Elrond had been quick in examining her and determining that her water had broke and that the twins in deed were on their way.

Yet all of this was still far off. Her contractions were still about 20 minutes apart. Elrond had told Legolas to dress Aria in loose clothing and take her to the Houses of Healing and he would join them shortly after he had awoken his sons. He also wanted Legolas to continue to monitor the minutes in between the contractions that Aria was having.

A groan escaped Aria's throat as stopped walking as a contraction hit. Legolas wrapped his arm around her gently and held her close to steady her as the pain subsided. "We're almost there meleth nin. Can you make it the rest of the way? Or shall I carry you?" he asked.

"No I can make it. Walking makes it feel a little better," she said as she slowly began to walk again.

After a few more minutes, they entered the Houses of Healing. Ioreth, the head healer, was on duty that night and greeted them as soon as the couple entered. "What ills you, my lady?" she asked. "Usually this is the other way around."

Aria tried to speak, but found that she could not. "The princess' water broke." Legolas answered for her. "The twins are on their way."

Ioreth nodded in acknowledgement as she led them down a hallway. Just a few days ago, Aragorn had made arrangements in the Houses of Healing for a private room to be set aside for when Aria went into labor. He knew that his sister would want as much privacy as possible and he would make sure that she got it.

Once she made sure that the princess was settled into her private room, she gave the princely couple some privacy. For they were in for some long hours.

* * *

"It hurts," Aria groaned as she turned and clung to her husband who had moved from sitting in a nearby chair to sitting behind her on the bed. This had been a way to bring Aria comfort in the past, perhaps now it could do the same. Elrond had come to see them a little while ago, checking on Aria to see how she was progressing. He told them that it would still be a while longer. In the meantime, she needed to rest while she could and he would return with her brothers, who he could still not get out of bed.

"I know meleth nin," Legolas whispered as he pressed a kiss into her sweat matted hair. He would never tell Aria about the pain he could feel through their bond, but he could feel each contraction that she was having – it wasn't as intense as she was feeling, but it did hurt. He could only imagine how the pain really felt if it was hurting him through their bond. Knowing that his wife was going through this kind of pain simply to bring their elflings into the world was amazing and it made him love her all the more for it. "You need to rest while you can and save your strength for when you need it later on."

She wearily nodded as she closed her eyes and tried to rest. Legolas watched over her and gently ran his fingers along her arms, trying to comfort her. As he watched over her, he could not help but allow his mind to think back over the last 70 years. From the first moment that he had seen her in the Halls of Mirkwood he had been drawn to her. They had been through their ups and their downs – with what seemed like more downs than anything. But for all of it, Aria had truly been his star, the one thing that kept him going through it all – even during the dark years when they were separated by the cold hand of death.

And finally this was their reward - a family of their own. Now only would they be blessed with one elfling – but twins, blessed by Manwë himself. He could not wait to gaze upon the faces of his twins knowing that they were created out of love – a love that was eternal.

* * *

"You are ready," Elrond said. "You can push."

Aria bore down with all the strength that she had as Legolas sat next to her, muttered words of encouragement to her as the twins aided their father with the delivery. Out in the hallway, Aragorn and Arwen both waited for news of the birth along with Gimli.

She screamed in pain as she stopped pushing and collapsed against the bed. "I can't ada," she cried. "It hurts too much."

"You have to iell nin," Elrond ordered. "The babies are coming whether you are ready or not. Now push again!"

It seemed like an eternity had passed that Aria had to push. She would bear down with all her strength before collapsing against the bed. At one point, she felt some of Legolas' strength pass into her. "You can do this," he whispered to her as he kissed her forehead.

She wearily nodded as she readied herself for another push.

In between her cries of pain, she heard the most wonderful noise in the world. A baby's cry. Tears weld up in her eyes.

"You have a son," Elrond said as he handed the first twin off to Elladan to be cleaned up. "You can not rest now. You have got to keep going."

She took a deep breath as she pushed as hard as she could, followed by just a brief pause. Within a few short pushes, their daughter had joined her brother as well. Elrohir took the newborn princess from his father's arms and took her to be cleaned up.

It was then that Aria allowed the tears to flow as she collapsed against the bed. Legolas leaned over and kissed his wife's lips. "You were amazing, meleth nin. Our twins are perfect," he whispered.

She nodded as she closed her eyes for a brief second, only to have them snap back open at the sound of one of her children crying.

"I think that someone wants to see their nana," Elladan said as he walked over carrying the newborn prince. Legolas placed a pillow behind Aria's back and pulled the sheet of the bed up around her as Aria took their son in her arms for the first time. She couldn't help but marvel at how tiny he looked – from his tiny fingers and toes to the tiny point of his ears. She smiled at the fact that he, like his father, had beautiful blond hair. They wouldn't be able to tell what color his eyes were for a few days, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that their son was healthy. Aria turned to look at Legolas, as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He held their daughter in his arms. She couldn't help but fall in love with the tender moment that she was witnessing in front of her.

Legolas ever so gently leaned over and kissed his daughter's head of soft light brown locks as he whispered elvish terms of endearment to her.

"What are you going to name them?" Elrohir asked after a few minutes, while Elladan went to get the others from the hallway.

"We had discussed that this little one would be named Lassiel," Legolas said, smiling down at his daughter.

"And this one would be named Alyan." Aria said before she gently kissed her son's forehead.

* * *

Legolas gently ran his finger along the side of Aria's face, brushing the hair away as she slept. He did this often when he found that sleep evaded him. Typically it had been during the War for the Ring after Aria had joined him. He worried constantly about her then.

Would she be alright? Would the twins make it to the birth? Would he live to see his twins be born? Would Sauron be defeated?

In the end, everything had been fine. And now, the twins had arrived. Now perhaps he and Aria could have the peace that they both desired for so long.

A cry for the nursery startled Aria, who began to awake.

"You rest, meleth nin. It's only been a few days since the delivery and you still need to recover. I will bring the little one to you if they need a feeding," Legolas said as he kissed his wife's cheek before slipping out of bed.

He quietly walked from their bedchambers to the nursery, where Alyan was crying. Legolas reached down and picked his son up and gently began to walk back and forth across the nursery, lulling his son back to sleep.

After a few minutes Alyan yawned in his ada's arms and fell back to sleep. Legolas smiled and placed his son back into his crib. Lassiel had stayed asleep the entire time.

Standing there watching his twins sleep, Legolas couldn't help but reflect on all that had been and all that was going to take place with his family.

And he could not wait.

This was only the beginning of it all.

* * *

**AN: Sadly, this is the end Reflections - but since I am making this a trilogy, I will re-title this story, Reflections: Beginnings and the next one will be Reflections: Family – so look for the new story in a few days! I just want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed and favorited this story! I just hope that you do the same with the sequel - especially if you want to find out who is after the royal family ;)  
**

**Oh! Lassiel means leaf and Alyan means blessed in elvish**


	52. The Lost Chapters: 1

_**Disclaimer:**__** I don't own LOTR – I'm just borrowing them for a bit.  
**_

_**Author's Note**__**: I decided, as I was re-reading 'Reflections: Beginnings', that I did not go into enough detail about the five years that Legolas and Aria were separated (in between chapters 20 and 21). So these are where these "lost chapters" fit in. They tell about what happened during the time that Aria was 'dead' and Legolas was grieving for her. They will make you cry...just a warning. I cried when writing them! Please let me know what you think!**_

* * *

"**The Lost Chapters" - #1: **

He would not leave the room as their bodies were cleaned and prepared for their memorials. He knew that he would soon fallow them into the Halls of Mandos if he had his way. He could not live in a world where he could not feel his beloved's warmth, see her smile, hold her close to him or even kiss her lips any longer. She had been ripped away from him.

Now part of his fëa was gone as well – gone with her to the Halls of Mandos.

He would never love again, for an elf could only truly love once in their lives.

"Prince Legolas?"

He lifted his head to look up at the sound of his name. He did not want to tear his eyes away from his beloved and their newborn son who lay in her arms.

"These are yours now," the elf in front of him said, holding out his hand. Legolas reached out and took from him Aria's wedding band and star gem necklace that he had given to her on the day that he asked her to marry him. A rising set of emotions overtook him as his grief spilled out and he began to sob once more.

The elves who were preparing the bodies quickly finished and departed, leaving their heartbroken prince to grieve in privacy.

* * *

That was how his father found him.

Curled up, sitting on the floor, next to his beloved wife's body – still grasping her wedding band and necklace tightly in his hand.

"Come," Thranduil quietly said. "Their bodies need to be moved."

Without hesitation, Legolas stood from his sitting position and took one last look at Aria's pale face. Still even in death, she was still beautiful in his eyes. Then there was their son...dead before he was even allowed to take his first breath. Not being able to stand it, Legolas turned into his adar's arms and pressed his face against his shoulder just like he did as a child – he felt just like a child…cold and alone.

"Why adar? Why?" he sobbed. "Why them?"

Thranduil gently wrapped his arms around his youngest son and held him as he cried. "I do not know, my son. Yet I am partly to blame because I did not give in and allow you to stay with her as you asked."

"It still would have happened."

"Who is to say? But come, we must be brave now for the others who need us."

"_I don't want to…_" Legolas thought to himself as his father lead him towards the Great Hall where the memorial would take place. _"I only want my wife and son back…"_

* * *

"He will not leave Middle Earth for the Undying Lands."

Thranduil turned and looked and the Lord of Imladris in confusion during the memorial service where the funeral pyre that held the bodies of Aria and their unnamed son were set ablaze in the Great Hall and all those who wanted to watch could sit and wait for it to burn out as a sign of respect for the Princess of Mirkwood. Front and center of it all was Legolas. He was surrounded by his brother as well the twins and Aragorn, who had only just arrived that day. There had been a steady flow of mourners throughout the service.

"Why do you say that?" Thranduil asked. "His mother is in the Undying Lands."

"But Aria is not. He will fade away and eventually join her in the Halls of Mandos. You will soon have to have another funeral. Can you not already tell?" Elrond said, motioning towards Legolas. "He has lost weight and his eyes have lost their shine. It is only a matter of time."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Have him return to Imladris. There he can ride out with the twins and join the Northern Rangers as they hunt orcs. He can train with Glorfindel as well. We both know that elves only love once. His fëa is bound to hers. Perhaps we can slow his fading by having him leave Mirkwood. Yet it is inevitable that he will fade in time."

Thranduil sighed heavily as he turned his attention back to his youngest son, who once again had a steady stream of tears flowing down his cheeks as he watched the funeral flames dance around his beloved's body.

"I agree. I think it is for the best as well."

* * *

_**AN #2:**__** So what did you think? Don't forget that the sequel to this first 'Reflections' is posted as a separate story – 'Reflections: Family'.**_

_**Also if you get a chance, check out SleepyHollow5's stories, 'Ever After' and 'World's Apart' – they are awesome!**_


	53. The Lost Chapters: 2

**Disclaimer:**** Only Aria is mine – this rest belong to Tolkien!**

* * *

"**The Lost Chapters" - #2: **

Another night, another dream. It almost always was the same – Aria was curled against his chest as she was running her fingers through his hair with a small smile on her face. He would lean close and gently kiss her lips before lying back as he began to twirl her hair around his fingers as well.

That's how most of them were.

Just them.

Occasionally their son would be with them, but most of the time it was just the two of them.

Then there were the nightmares.

Aria lying broken, bleeding from an orc attack leaving him helpless to save her or Aria suddenly disappearing from sight, only to be replaced by flames with orcs jumping out to attack him.

There had not been a single night since Aria's passing in which Legolas did not have a dream of some sort about her. Of course this night was no different. Nor had any night been for the last six months.

Thankfully it had not been a nightmare about her death. No – he had already had several of those this past week. Instead it was one of them together…a dream of what could have been…

…what should have been.

Legolas lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling of his new quarters in Imladris. Lord Elrond had offered to allow him to stay in the quarters that he and Aria had shared, yet Legolas requested a smaller quarters. He was never asked why, although Lord Elrond was not a fool – Legolas did not want to memories of Aria to surround him.

Simply being in Imladris was hard enough for him, though it was a far better cry than being in Mirkwood – both places would remind him every minute of every day of his beloved Aria who was taken from him all too soon. He swore that there were times that whatever part of his fëa remained with him, which it was crying out for her. He couldn't explain it, he just felt it. Perhaps his dreams were a sign of this.

Was there anywhere in Middle Earth that he could go and not be reminded of her? Doubtful. Even a flower or simply stargazing reminded him of her.

Seeing that there was no point in going back to sleep, Legolas slowly got up and began to dress for the day.

His days in Imladris were nothing to write home about. He would train with Glorfindel if he felt like it. Shoot arrows if he felt like it. Or simply do nothing. Yet most days he could be found in the stables, tending to the needs of Aria's horse, Argo. Typically once a week, Legolas would take Argo out for a ride, down to the river where Legolas and Aria would escape to whenever they wanted to be alone. It would be here that Legolas would weep the most as he sat against the tree where he and Aria shared their first kiss as he spilled his heart out to her and much to his happiness, she had returned his feelings.

'_I will always fight to get back to you meleth nin,' _was what he had told her that day. And while he knew that she had tried her hardest to fight against death to get back to him, that the pull of Mandos' Halls had been too great.

Yet it still was not fair.

He had wait well over two millennia to find his match, only to have her taken from him after less than two decades together? How was any of this fair?

Once he was dressed, he quietly made his way through the hallways and out into the garden where he could watch the sunrise before he could make his way down to the stables to visit with Argo before morning meal.

* * *

"Ada, Legolas does nothing, says nothing and I doubt that he truly cares anymore." Elladan said as he and his brother stood in their father's study.

"He grieves for your sister." Elrond answered, without looking up from the parchment that he was reading.

"We all grieve for Aria! But you were not like this when nana left." Elrohir added.

"That is entirely different. Your nana took a ship to the Undying Lands. She is still alive. Aria is not. If Legolas were to sail, he still would never see her." Elrond said as he continued to work.

"So you are just going to let him fade?" Elladan asked, appalled at the idea of one of his best friends simply fading into nothing. He had never seen an elf fade from a broken heart and he really did not want his brother-in-law to do so.

"Can you not stop it ada?" Elrohir begged.

"I have tried everything that I know of. The only thing left is to give Legolas time to grieve and hopefully he will begin to live a little once again. Yet I am afraid that eventually he will fade."

"Not if we have anything to do with it." Elladan said. Elrohir nodded in agreement.

The twins turned and left the study just as Elrond set down his quill. The elven lord sighed. He hoped that his sons were right – perhaps they could succeed where he had not.

* * *

Another day had come and gone.

Today was a little better – he had done a bit of archery at the insistence of Glorfindel. Holding a bow felt good, yet it had been so long since he had done so that he would have stiff shoulders in the morning.

He sighed.

Aria had always given him a back and neck massage after a long day of archery practice. She had always known just where to apply the right amount of pressure to make all his soreness and tension disappear. And her soft kisses in between his shoulder blades and along his spine always helped.

"There you are!"

Startled by the appearance of the twins, Legolas was suddenly knocked from his daydream of Aria and back into the harsh reality of a Middle Earth without her. He stared at the twins, wondering what they wanted.

"Seeing that you are now living here full time, we decided that you need to come and ride with the Northern Rangers." Elrohir said. "We need another rider since Aragorn has gone off on a mission of self-discovery around Middle Earth."

"Why would I want to do that?" Legolas asked.

"One it gives you something to do." Elladan said. "Then you won't have to be stuck here all the time. I'm sure that Argo would love the adventure. Second, you get to hunt orcs."

Orcs - those vile creatures that took Aria from him. Perhaps the twins had a good idea. "Alright, count me in." Legolas said, trying to form a bit of a smile. "As long as I get to hunt orcs."

"All that we can find." Elrohir said with a smile as he turned to look at his twin. Hopefully this had worked.

* * *

_**AN: **__**I hope that ya'll are enjoying these glimpses into what happened during the time that Legolas and Aria were separated. The next chapter will deal with Aria! **_

_**If you get a chance, check out SleepyHollow5's stories 'Ever After' and 'Worlds Apart' – they are my favs and I love them to death! **_


	54. The Lost Chapters: 3

**Disclaimer:**** I only own Aria – everything else belongs to Tolkien**

* * *

"**The Lost Chapters" - #3: **

She could feel the pull of the Halls of Mandos beckon for her. She could hear her ada calling for her to return from the light, she could feel the bond between her and Legolas breaking and becoming weaker, yet something kept her moving towards the light.

Her son. That's what propelled her to move forward. She looked down at the small bundle in her arms and smiled. He was so small and fragile. Much too small to be left alone. That was why she had to come with him. She had never wanted to leave her husband; no she loved him far too much. But someone had to care for this little one. Hopefully Legolas would understand...

So she kept on walking.

Soon she found herself surrounded by unknown figures as well as some known. Famous figures through out the history of Middle Earth mixed and mingled with those who were not.

"My dear, sweet Aria. You have turned out to be a beauty like your mother," a voice said behind her.

Aria turned around as was face to face with someone she had never known, yet still knew. It was her father – Arathorn.

"Papa," she said as she walked towards him and he embraced her gently before smiling down at the babe in her arms.

"And who is this?" he asked with a smile.

"My son," she said handing the small child to her father to hold.

"The son of an elf, no less," Arathorn said taking notice of the babe's slightly pointed ears. Aria smiled slightly. "His father would have been proud of him, I'm sure of it."

Aria smiled at her father's comment as she watched for a while longer as her father held his grandson. As she watched, she began to take notice of the Halls of Mandos. There were large tapestries on the walls depicting the events of Middle Earth. Typically Námo would sit on his throne and just watch over the souls elves and men until the end of time – or whatever fate men had. Yet as she looked around Námo was nowhere to be seen.

"YOU ARE NOT TO BE HERE!" a voice suddenly boomed behind her.

Aria slowly turned around and was face to face with the Doorman of the Valar – Námo. She stood there petrified.

"Come with me," he said.

Aria turned for her son.

"The child stays."

She nodded as she turned away from her father and son as she followed the Valar through the hall and into a large chamber. Tears slowly fell down her cheeks as she walked away from her father and son, knowing that she would never see either of them again.

As she entered the large chamber the door slammed shut and she glanced around – seeing that she was alone. Where had Námo gone?

"What do you search for young one?" a voice asked from behind her.

Aria slowly turned around and saw a figure, clad in royal blue standing behind her. Immediately she averted her eyes and knelt to the floor in respect. "No one, my Lord," she softly said.

The figure knelt down and helped Aria stand back up then tiled her head back up to look at him. She was still refusing to make eye contact with him. "I promise that it is fine," Manwë, the Lord of the Valar, said. "Nothing else will harm you. I sense that you have many questions."

Aria slowly nodded yes.

"Then please, ask."

"What am I doing here?"

"Treachery is what sent you to my brother's halls. Love is what will set you free."

"How?"

"The bond between you and Legolas Thranduilion is strong enough to survive even death. Can you not feel his pain and sorrow?"

Aria slowly nodded yes.

"A love like that is rare. Soon he will join you in my brother's halls…"

"NO!" Aria yelled, cutting off the Valar.

Manwë simply smiled. "I understand. There is a reason that he cannot join you. His destiny is tied to your brother's, just as much as yours is. That is one reason why your bond is still so strong."

"How can love set me free then?"

"Eru Ilúvatar is sending you back to Middle Earth. You are both a descendent of man and of elves through Elros. We are now giving you the choice as to which to be counted among."

"You mean I return as an elf?"

"Yes."

"Would I look the same?"

"For the most part. You would have the light of the Eldar with in, if that is that path you choose as well as a few other physical changes. Both nothing drastic."

"I choose an elf."

Manwë smiled. "Now in return for this, you must do something for us."

"What?"

"Guide your brother towards his true destiny and help drive out the darkness that is taking over the hearts of men of Middle Earth."

"I will do whatever it takes. Just please don't let my husband fade."

"That I can make sure of. Now you need to rest young one. Going back to the world of the living is not an easy task."

Aria felt darkness take over her as her eyelids slid shut.

* * *

Sunlight warmed her face and skin. The smell of flowers and birds filled the air. Aria sighed in comfort as she slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying in a large bed in an room with the windows wide opened. She sat up and took in her new surroundings.

Where was she?

Had she already been sent back?

No she couldn't have been – because if she had been, then Legolas would be laying in bed with her.

So where exactly was she?

The door to the room opened and an elleth walked in carrying a tray of food. "It is about time that you woke up!" the elleth said turning with a smile to look at Aria.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The elleth smiled. "My name is Elenya. I am Legolas' nana."

* * *

**AN: I know I'm horrible! It's been hectic around here and hopefully things calm down soon. Anyways, I borrowed the name of Legolas' mother from SleepyHollow5, since she is always keeping on me to update. I know that it was short – but hey, its better than nothing!**


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